Better Things
by Tardis19
Summary: Better things were coming her way, and she was more than ready to forget about the hell her ex had put her through. Moving away to college, she meets a tall, green-eyed man who leaves her breathless and steals her heart, but danger lurks nearby. There's an angry ex on the loose and out for revenge. Can they find their happily ever after? AH/College Fic, rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Howdy folks! Here's the new story. It's a M rated AH/College fic. Chapters will be a bit shorter because that's the way they worked out, and I'll be posting every Saturday. I'll let you know right now, this story is a bit of a slow burn. There will be romance (and drama), but it's going to take a while to get there. **

**Disclaimer: It ain't mine.**

**A huge thank you to my beta, Heather, for her awesome beta'ing skills. Without her, this chapter would have been a huge mess.**

** I'm always a bit nervous when I put up a new story, but here's hoping you like it. On you go!**

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**"Forget what happened yesterday, I know that better things are on the way." _Better Things _by The Kinks**

I was ready. No, I was more than ready. I couldn't wait to get away from small town life and start living in the big city, and compared to Forks, Washington, Seattle seemed like a ginormous city. It wasn't that I'd never lived in a big city before, I had, but this was the first time I'd be living in a big city on my own. My parents were nervous about me going to school there, but they accepted that it was my decision, and Seattle was what I wanted.

After high school graduation, I'd been unsure of what wanted to do with my life, so my parents suggested community college. So, I knocked out some general courses and worked my butt off at Newton's Sporting Goods and Outfitters store. It had been hell. Well, it was fine until the owners' son, Mike, start sniffing around. He'd been the popular guy at Forks High who hadn't so much as shown me the time of day, much less had known my name. Needless to say, I was a bit shocked when he started flirting with me one day at work. I shook it off, figuring that I was nothing more than a conquest or a bet, and I refused his advances, but he wasn't deterred. If anything, my ignoring him only made him more persistent. But, eventually, I'd caved in and gone on a date with him.

Before I knew it, Mike and I were exclusive, and we were the "it" couple. You know, that popular and perfect couple that all couples strive to be? Yeah, that was us, and we were blissfully happy. Which only goes to show that I was an idiot. A few months in to our relationship, he started making little comments about my weight, my clothes, and my hair. I didn't think much of it at the time and made the small changes he suggested, not even realizing that I was about to go down a dark path.

Over time, the criticisms became more harsh and more frequent. Mike also became demanding and possessive. He demanded to know where I was or who I was with at all times. I knew what he was doing was wrong, but I blew it off and made excuses to my friends for his behavior. I should have told my parents, especially my dad, seeing as he was the chief of police, but I hadn't. I had kept quiet, and that was a mistake.

Six months after our first date, Mike asked me to marry him despite the fact that we were nineteen, and our relationship had been rocky for the past few months. I turned him down, and that was when I got the shock of my life. We'd been at his parent's house, and he'd made this fancy meal. After dinner, he got down on one knee and proposed. Actually, it was more like a demand. "Marry me, Isabella."

I told him no, that I wasn't ready, and that I wasn't sure I loved him as much as he loved me. That had been the wrong thing to say. I'd never seen Mike so angry. He was furious. No, he was livid. His face turned bright red, his eyes darkened, and he started yelling. He grabbed my upper arms with so much force I felt them start to bruise, and then he slapped me before he called me a whore and a tease and swore I would get what was coming to me.

Now, being the daughter of the chief of police meant that I'd had some self-defense training, but at that moment, I was unable to recall any of it. I'd been terrified and paralyzed that someone I cared about had hit me. He hit me once more, and I felt the skin on my lower lip break, tasting the blood as it began to spill. That was when my fight or flight mode kicked in, and I went ape shit. I started kicking, biting, and yelling as loud as I could, but it only seemed to make Mike angrier. I'd never known fear before, not really, not like that. Mike seemed to have grown larger before my eyes, and he came at me with the force of a bear. Mike rammed into me, knocking me to the ground, and then his fists begun flying. I did my best to protect myself from him, but he still got in more than a few hits. My face felt like it was on fire, and I was certain my nose was broken.

Eventually, I'd been able to get a knee up, and had shoved it as hard as I could into his balls. He let out a yowl before curling up in a ball, his hands cupping his damaged junk, and that gave me the time I needed to get up and stumble for the door. I'd fumbled with the lock before dashing out into the street where I headed to the closest house and banged on their door until someone answered. The police were called, and my dad was livid. If his deputy hadn't been with him, I swear my dad would have killed Mike and tossed his body off a cliff.

I'd never seen my dad cry before that night. I was taken to the hospital to be treated for multiple cuts and bruises, not to mention a broken nose and a busted lip. I'd ended up with six stitches and a colorful array of bruises covering my face and upper torso. My parents were by my side the whole time, and I was incredibly grateful to them.

Mike was charged with assault and battery, and in the end, he ended up being sentenced to one hundred and eighty days in prison and would be on probation for two years. Personally, I felt he deserved more than that, and my parents were furious he got off so lightly, but it was because his dad had a lot of pull in the town. Of course, Mike tried to make the whole thing my fault, saying that I'd provoked him into doing it, and if I weren't such a fat cow and a tease, he never would have had to yell at me. It had all been such bullshit, and I was grateful the judge saw the fallacy in that explanation and stated that Mike's reasoning was that of a typical domestic abuser.

After everything with Mike was done and over with, I decided I needed a new start. A start that wasn't in a small town where everyone knew everyone's business, people didn't see me and whisper about me about behind my back, and I wasn't the poor, helpless victim. I'd started seeing a therapist after the assault, and she was great. She gave me the courage to move on with my life and start over.

"Are you sure about this, Bells?" Dad asked me as we drove the truck with the rented U-Haul to Seattle.

"Yes, Dad," I told him for what seemed like the thousandth time. "I need to do this. I'll be fine. I'll call you guys once a week or even once a day if you want."

"She'll be fine, Charlie," Mom said, reaching over and giving his hand a squeeze. "This is good for her."

Mom was right. This was going to be good for me. Most of my friends from high school were stuck in Forks, working menial jobs. Very few of them had gone off to college. Usually because they couldn't afford it, or they had no aspirations to go. But, me? I decided after what happened with Mike that I wanted to go to college. I wasn't sure what I was going to major in just yet, but law enforcement or psychology were at the top of my list. I knew my mother would probably have a conniption fit if I became a cop like Dad. Even though Forks was a small town, she still worried that he wouldn't come home at night. I think a lot of that fear stemmed from when we had lived in Phoenix, and Dad had worked for the Gang Task Force Unit. It had caused more than a few fights, and they even divorced at one point, but they worked through it and remarried a few years later. Dad loved his job, and he loved our small town. Mom wanted me to be a teacher like she was, but I had no desire to try and teach other people. I'd tried my hand at tutoring once and almost snapped on the kid when he couldn't get the math problems right. So no, teaching wasn't in the cards for me. But that was the great thing about college; you had the opportunity to explore your options before settling on something.

And when it came to choosing a college, I'd done some major research with Mom, throwing out ideas the whole time. I looked at schools near and far away from home, state and private. I took several campus tours and finally settled on one: Edmonton College in Seattle. It was a small liberal arts school with a total of twelve hundred students, and thee campus was only two blocks long. I'd still be near home, but far enough away that I could feel free.

"Well, kiddo, in a few minutes, we'll be pulling into the parking lot of your new residence," Dad said as he signaled to take a left. He pulled the truck past a sign that read Edmonton College, and we wound our way toward the student center. All freshman and new students had to sign in and get their keys to their rooms as well as their class schedules and list of books needed. I was a little nervous, not going to lie.

There was a long line in the student center, and it took a good fifteen minutes before I got what I needed to begin the start of my new life.

"You'll be in Nora Hall, room 201," the guy behind the table said as he handed me my key and room info. I thanked him, gathered up all my papers, and headed back out to the parking lot where my parents were waiting.

I handed my dad the map I was given, and we made our way around the student hall and into the parking lot next to the dormitory. As I got out of the truck, I watched as students, parents, and volunteers carried totes, furniture, and boxes toward the building. Although, watching some of these people, I wondered what they were thinking. Who thought they could fit a couch into their dorm room? I was fairly certain my dorm room wouldn't be as big as the ones on TV seemed to be. I was sort of expecting a room the size of a jail cell, and I'd seen those in person. They were freaking tiny.

"Here, Bella," Mom said, handing me one of the four Rubbermaid totes I'd packed clothes, shoes, and stuff in to. I grabbed the tote from her, and once we each had our hands full, we began the trek toward the building.

Once inside, we headed toward the elevator, but it was jammed pack with people and stuff, so we ended up taking the stairs. In doing so, I got to hear my dad swear up a storm as Mom told him to hush and suck it up. Sometimes, they cracked me up. Thankfully, I was on the second floor and, my room was the first one on the left. I swore Dad almost cried with relief when he realized that.

As I unlocked the door, I noticed two name tags in the shape of suns with the names Bella and Alice written on them. I hadn't been contacted by my roommate nor had I contacted her, but I really hoped she was nice. Both Mom and Dad had told me horror stories about their nightmare roommates from college, and I really hoped I could walk away from college without one of those.

Walking into the room, I was pleased to see it was larger than a jail cell with enough room for the two beds so they didn't have to be bunked. A quick glance around showed that Alice had obviously moved in already or was in the process of moving in. Although, it already seemed to be in its place on her side of the room.

"Isn't that sweet?" Mom asked, and I turned around to see her standing in front of the mirror near the door. Alice had written, "Hi, Bella!" on the mirror in what looked to be lipstick.

I nodded to my mom and set down the tote I was carrying near the bed that was to be mine. Dad told us to start unpacking stuff and he'd go get the next round of boxes. While he was gone, I got my bed made and Mom put away my clothes. The room was pretty sparse, and I hoped Alice wouldn't object to my putting up some posters on the walls. It took two more trips for Dad to unload the truck and U-Haul, and then he collapsed on my newly made bed and closed his eyes.

"Oh no you don't, Charlie Swan," Mom said. "You still have to drive us back. You know I hate driving in Seattle traffic."

"Just let me rest my eyes a minute, Rennie," Dad said, his voice starting to drop off. Mom and I exchanged grins as we watched my dad pass out on my bed. The man lived for his naps, and we loved to tease him about it.

We finished unpacking my stuff and storing my totes in the closet when the door opened, and a little sprite of a girl walked in with two guys behind her. Mom quickly kicked Dad's leg to wake him up, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Charlie," Mom hissed. "Wake up. Bella's roommate is here. What is she going to think if she sees you sleeping?"

"That I'm tired and worn out from dragging all of my daughter's crap up the stairs," Dad replied as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

I rolled my eyes at them before turning to greet the girl I'd be living with for the remainder of the year. I held out a hand for her to shake when she threw herself at me and wrapped me in a hug. I was startled, to say the least, but I managed to return the hug. I wasn't a touchy-feely kind of person, so I felt a bit like a fish out of water.

"You must be Bella!" she squealed, a huge smile on her face. "I'm Alice Cullen, and I'm your roommate. These are my brothers, Emmett and Edward. Edward lives upstairs, and Emmett's on the fourth floor," she said in a rush, never once stopping to take a breath. I was amazed she hadn't passed out from like of oxygen.

I smiled at her brothers and gave a little wave before introducing my parents. Mom was almost as giddy as Alice while my dad eyed the boys and gave them a gruff hello. Mom smacked him on the arm and told him to behave, and I buried my face in my hands. Parents could be so embarrassing at times. Mom and Dad stayed and chatted a while, well, Mom chatted, Dad sort of glared and fiddled around on his phone. Eventually though, they needed to head back.

Grabbing my keys, I followed them outside to the truck in the parking lot. Mom wrapped me up in a huge hug and made me promise to call after my first day of class. I snickered, but agreed, and I let her hold me just a little bit longer. Dad was next, and his hug was just as warm and loving as Mom's. He told me he loved me, and that he knew I'd do great. I hoped he was right. Before they left, Dad handed me a small keychain size canister of pepper spray and told me to carry it with me at all times. I agreed.

I waved goodbye as they drove out of the parking lot, and then I slowly began to walk up the path to the dorm. I felt tears prickling my eyes, but I pushed them back. I wasn't going to cry. My folks were three hours away if I needed anything. So, taking a deep breath, I headed inside to start over.

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**a/n: Well? Did you like it? Hate it? Feel meh about it? Leave me a review and let me know. I'd love to hear from you. See you next Saturday.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am amazed and blown away by the response this story has gotten. Thank you so very much! Each one of those reviews or author alerts, brightened my day that much more, so thank you. Also a huge thanks to Heather for fixing my comma issues (of which I have a lot)!**

**So on you go. There's an Edward sighting or two in this chapter.**

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"Tell me about yourself," Alice said later that night after we were in our pajamas and lying in our beds.

"Oh, um … there's not much to tell, really," I told her even though it was sort of a lie. The whole thing with Mike was a lot to tell, but I wasn't ready to tell that story to a stranger that I was living with.

"I'm kind of boring to tell you the truth," I said. "I like to read and write, listen to music, and watch movies."

"Well, where are you from?" Alice asked me as she propped herself up on her bed on her stomach, her feet up behind her in the air. I was sprawled out on mine as well with my head propped up on my pillows.

"A small town called Forks. It's about three hours from here."

"No way!" she exclaimed. "My cousin lives there. You might know her. Her name's Jessica Stanley."

I grimaced when she said Jessica's name. Yeah, I knew her, and I disliked her greatly. Jessica was a horrible gossip who had done her best to make my life miserable in high school.

"Yeah, I know her."

Something in my voice must have indicated my distain for Jessica.

"She can be a bit much," Alice said, giving me a smile.

I let out a snort. "Tell me about it. How about you? Where are you from?"

"Mercer Island," she told me, and I was glad it was dark so she couldn't see my eyebrows rise up on my forehead. Mercer Island was where the wealthy people lived, and I mean the wealthy. There was no way my family could afford to live on Mercer Island. Hell, we couldn't afford to live in one of their garages.

"Wow," I managed to get out and hoped I didn't sound rude.

"It's home," was all she said.

We talked for a while more before our yawns began to interrupt our conversation, and we agreed to get breakfast together in the morning. I had a rough time falling asleep, but that was normal when I was sleeping in a new place. I missed my bed at home and the warm, comforting smell of the woods outside my window. Plus, it was a lot louder here than in Forks. I was used to the sounds of wildlife, not traffic, and I knew it would take some getting used to.

I woke up around nine the next morning and grinned when I looked over at Alice's bed. All I could see of her was some black hair sticking up from underneath a blanket. Quietly, I gathered my bath stuff and my towel and tiptoed out the door and across to the bathroom that we shared with the room on the other side of it. Each bathroom was shared by four girls, and while I hated that fact, I was just glad I didn't have to share with the whole freaking floor.

I showered quickly and threw on my bathroom before heading back to my room, only to run into the most gorgeous looking man I'd ever seen, except I had seen him before. Yesterday, as a matter of fact. He was one of Alice's brothers, but I couldn't remember which one. Of course, that was when I remembered that I was in my ratty and old bathrobe, and my hair was a mess. I flushed bright red and fiddled with the tie on my robe.

"Uh, sorry," he said in a velvety voice that did funny things to my insides. "I was just wondering if Alice was up yet?"

"Oh, um …" I trailed off as my brain shut down and fought to remember what I'd been about to tell him. He looked at me with amusement sparkling in his eyes.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I'm still waking up. As far as I know, she's still asleep, but I'll check for you if you want?"

"Thanks," he said. "I'll wait here."

Nodding, I unlocked the door to our room, fumbling as he watched on, and then dashed inside once it opened. **So not** the way I wanted to start my morning. Alice was still asleep, her head still buried under her covers, so I cracked the door open and told her brother she wasn't awake.

"She's so lazy," he teased, a grin playing on his lips. "Tell her I stopped by, would you?"

"Sure," I said, waving goodbye as he walked away. I shut the door and leaned back against it, letting out a sigh. Boy, he was sure was something to look at. Shaking my head to clear it out, I grabbed some clothes out of my dresser and quickly got dressed, then brushed my hair.

By the time I was done, Alice was starting to stir, and she peeked her head out from under her covers.

"Morning already?" she asked, letting out a huge yawn.

"Yep. Oh, your brother stopped by. I don't know which one, but he wanted me to let you know."

"Was he a giant?"

"Huh?"

"My brother."

"Oh, uh , no. He had crazy bronze-colored hair."

"Edward," she mumbled into her blankets. "I wonder what he wanted?"

I shrugged, telling her I didn't know. I watched as she struggled to wake up, and I found it quite humorous because she seemed like the kind of person who was always on the go. She informed me she was … once she'd woken up and gotten some coffee in her system.

Forty minutes later, she was dressed and ready to go, but the cafeteria had stopped serving breakfast.

"If you're up for it, I know a great little diner that serves breakfast all day," she suggested as she finished touching up her makeup.

"Sounds good to me."

"Excellent!" She grinned. "Mind if my brothers join us?"

I shook my head and told her I didn't mind. I certainly liked the idea of seeing Edward again. He sure was nice to look at, and he seemed like a nice person.

Alice sent a quick text to her brothers, and minutes later, there was a knock on our door. Alice opened it and let in the two men I'd seen yesterday as well as two women I hadn't seen before. Alice introduced me to her brothers' girlfriends, Lauren and Rosalie. I smiled at them, not at all surprised the gorgeous Edward had a girlfriend. I was surprised to find myself slightly disappointed. It wasn't like I was looking to date anyone, not after the whole thing with Mike.

The tall, statuesque blonde, Rosalie, gave me a friendly smile and told me it was nice to meet me. The other girl, Lauren, barely glanced at me as if dismissing me. _Whatever_, I thought with an internal eye roll.

We all walked out to the parking lot, and Alice insisted that I ride with her. She led me to a giant yellow Ford F350, and I paused as I looked at it. I couldn't figure out how the hell she got up in it. Did it come equipped with a ladder? I watched in fascination as she reached up on her tippy toes and reached for the door. All of a sudden, a tall man with blond hair came out of nowhere and put his hands around her waist. I was about to shout at him to leave her alone, but a smile broke out across her face, and she turned to the man. She let out a squeal and threw her arms around him, pressing kisses all over his face.

"Jasper! I've missed you!" she shouted as he twirled her around before setting her down and placing a heated kiss on her lips.

"Ugh! Cut it out, guys!" Emmett said, shaking his head. Rosalie smacked him on the arm as she told him to grow up.

"Bella, this is my boyfriend and Rose's brother, Jasper. Jasper, this is my roommate, Bella. She's cool."

I shook his hand, smiling when he told me it was nice to meet me in a thick Southern accent. I watched as he lifted her up into the truck before he offered to help me into the truck as well. I took him up on it. There was no way I'd be able to get in on my own, and I had a feeling that the only way I'd be getting out of the truck was if I fell out.

I learned a bit about Jasper as Alice drove us toward the diner. He and his sister grew up on a horse ranch outside of Houston and had decided to come to Seattle for college because it's where their mother was originally from. Rosalie, or Rose to her close friends, was a junior whereas Jasper was a sophomore like us, and he was studying history, focusing on the Civil War.

"What about you, Bella? What are you majoring in?" he asked me as Alice weaved in and out of traffic like a NASCAR driver.

I gave him a shrug and a smile. "I'm still undecided. I took some community college classes for most of my generals, but I'm still not sure what I want to do. Right now, it's looking like a tossup between psychology and criminal justice."

"Would you want to be a cop?" Jasper asked, and I shook my head no.

"I don't think so. My dad's a cop; he's the Chief of Police actually. He loves his job, but I've seen how stressful it can be and the worry it can cause. So no, I don't think I want to go down that road."

"Well, I'm majoring in fashion design. I'm going to own my own clothing line someday," Alice piped up, and I could totally see it happening.

Ten minutes later, we were pulling up in front of a small building with a sign declaring we were at Joe's Diner. Nice. With Jasper's help, I managed to get out of the giant truck and not fall flat on my face. I saw the others pull up in a bright red Hummer, and I was reminded, once again, that Alice's family had money. I looked down at my Wal-Mart jeans and my Target top. I was certainly out of my league.

I took the menu that was handed to me once we were seated and almost sighed with relief when I saw the prices were more than reasonable. Mom and Dad were paying for my schooling along with the help of some minor loans, so the money I'd saved up from working at the store was mine to do with as I pleased. However, I was a bit of a stickler when it came to money, and I didn't enjoy spending it frivolously.

"What can I get ya?" the waitress asked me once she'd gone around the table. I ordered a platter of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, ordering the same as Edward who was sitting across from me. He grinned and gave me a thumbs up. His girlfriend, Lauren, shot me a nasty look, and I, in turn, gave her a confused one. I didn't know what her problem was with me. We'd just met, and I knew I hadn't done anything to warrant any such behavior.

"She doesn't like other girls looking at Edward," Alice whispered into my ear from beside me.

"Well then, she shouldn't be dating such a good looking guy," I responded quietly, blushing as I realized that I'd just admitted to her that I thought her brother was good looking.

"I agree," she said with a giggle. "It's hard being so pretty."

I snickered at her and let out a laugh when Emmett, who'd overheard her, tossed his head and batted his eyes.

"It is hard being pretty," he agreed. "Women just can't help but run their hands over my body and worship me."

That got a good laugh out of everyone, except Lauren. She shot Emmett a look of disdain before picking at the bowl of fruit that had been set in front of her. Deciding not to waste my time on her, I focused on the others. I was an only child, so I found it amusing to watch how Alice and her brothers interacted as well as Jasper and Rosalie.

By the time brunch was done, my cheeks ached from smiling and laughing so much. I'd had a great time with them, and I felt like I fit into their little group. I certainly hoped I did.

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**a/n: So, now we've met the evil Lauren. Don't worry. You won't have to put with her for too long...at least I don't think you do. As always, let me know what you thought!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews! Makes my day! I hope everyone is staying warm. We're being hit with snow and freezing temps again. Yes, I know it's winter, but that's not gonna stop me from bitching about it. **

**Big thanks to Heather for fixing my comma issues. I hate commas. I really do.**

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"Meet for lunch around one?" Alice asked me as we both finished getting ready for our first day of classes. I nodded and pressed a hand to my stomach. I was a tad bit nervous. It wasn't like I hadn't attended college courses before; I had, just not in a setting like this one. The campus was small, but spread out, so I made sure I had my map of the campus with me. I felt like a dork, but I didn't want to be late on my first day of classes.

Walking out of our room, we met up with Jasper, Edward, and Lauren before we began our trek across campus to our respective classes. My first class of the day was a botany class. I had to have two science classes, and I'd already completed a biology class at the community college. I figured I'd get the sciences done and out of the way since I didn't much care for them.

"Where you headed, Bella?" Edward asked as we walked.

"The science building," I told him, vaguely recalling where it was from my tour of the campus. I was fairly certain it was on the back side of the campus.

"I can show you where it is," Lauren chimed in. "I'm headed there as well."

"Thanks. That would be great," I told her, wondering what was up with the sudden attitude change.

The four of us separated once we hit the main quad, and I followed Lauren as she began walking down the sidewalk leading toward the back of campus.

"Thanks for showing me the way," I told her, thinking maybe we'd just gotten off on the wrong foot, and perhaps she really was a nice person. It seemed odd to me that Alice and the rest of them would hang out with her if she was a nasty person.

"Whatever," she said, flipping her stringy blonde hair over her shoulder before stopping and turning to face me. "Look, it's obvious that Alice has befriended you so, that means you'll be hanging around with us, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I don't like you, and I don't like the way you look at Edward."

I opened my mouth to tell her I didn't know what she was talking about, but she held up a finger and kept talking.

"Don't talk to him unless he talks to you first, and don't even think about becoming his friend. Edward is mine. Remember that, and everything will be fine."

I stared at her as if she'd grown another head. This was something out of some horribly cheesy teen movie. I mean, who was she to tell me that I couldn't talk to or be friends with him? I'd already had one person try to dictate my life, and I wasn't going to allow it to happen again.

"Do you hear yourself?" I asked her, folding my arms. "You can't tell me who I can talk to or be friends with. That's not your decision to make. If Edward wants to be my friend, I'm certainly not going to stop him. Although, I have no doubt you'll do your best to keep him from befriending me."

With those words, I shoved past her and continued down the sidewalk until I spotted the greenhouse where my class was meeting. I looked over my shoulder and saw Lauren standing there glaring at me, a furious look on her face. I couldn't help but shake my head at the ridiculousness of it all.

My first class passed quickly and along with it, any thoughts of Lauren. I had a feeling I might actually enjoy this botany class and learning about plants and our environment. Done with class where I'd met some new people, I had to rush to get to my next class on the other side of the campus. I really wasn't looking forward to this class at all. As a matter of fact, it was the one class I was dreading taking. It was another general class that was needed for graduation, and I wanted to get as many done as possible. Since I'd signed up a bit late for classes, I'd gotten stuck with what was available in the fine arts department, and the only thing available that fit into my schedule was dance. But, not just any dance class. Oh, no. I got stuck with Broadway musical dances. It was going to be the world's biggest disaster. I wasn't the most graceful of people to begin with, and I had no sense of rhythm whatsoever.

So, with much trepidation, I entered the fine arts building and found the dance studio. There were nine other people in the class, standing around in various forms of stretching, and the professor told those of us not yet changed to get into our dance clothes. Ducking out of the studio, I hit up the bathroom and changed into yoga pants and a tank top as well as some ballet slippers.

Twenty minutes in, I'd embarrassed myself more than usual, and my face was a permanent shade of red. The guy I'd been partnered up with was really sweet and talented, and I felt horrible for him, especially when I learned that he'd been dancing since he was three, and to be paired up with someone as clumsy and inept as me, must have made him feel like he was being punished.

"I'm sorry, Jake," I told him as I missed yet another step. The professor had wasted no time in getting us on the floor and dancing. She wanted us to practice a choreographed dance scene from the musical _Cats_, and I had been flabbergasted. Had the woman not realized there were beginners in the class, or at least a beginner? The answer to that was a resounding no.

"No biggie, Swan, we'll make a dancer out of you yet," he said with a cocky grin, and I laughed in his face. There was no way in hell I was going to be a dancer.

I almost wept with gratitude once class was over, and I slowly walked toward the bathroom to change, my muscles aching. Once I'd changed, I made sure that I didn't stink too horribly, but applied some more deodorant just to be on the safe side. Swinging open the bathroom door, I came face-to-face with Jacob.

"Where you off to Swan?"

"Um …," I paused for a moment as I dug out my schedule. "Intro to Human Relationships."

"Are you a psych major?" he asked as we left the building, and I shook my head, telling him I was exploring my options.

"What about you?"

"Musical theater," he said before twirling in front of me. "I love dance and theater, and I'm an amazing singer."

I let out a laugh. I was amazed by the confidence he had in himself. Alice was like that as well. Maybe it had something to do with being larger than life.

I waved goodbye to Jake as I walked up the steps to Grant Hall where most of the classes were held. I hauled my sore ass up four flights of stairs to the floor where my psychology class was. The door was open and students were scattered here and there, so I took a seat near the front. I wasn't a nerd or anything, but I paid more attention when I was near the front of the room.

I pulled out my pen and notebook and began doodling as I waited for class to begin and was startled when the chair next to mine scraped against the floor.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" a familiar velvet voice asked, and I looked over and into Edward's eyes. Boy, his eyes were green, I mean, like Harry Potter fucking green.

"Not at all," I told him with a smile, all the while thinking his girlfriend would certainly mind.

We sat and talked quietly for a few minutes until our professor called the class to attention. Dr. Banner was an older man in his fifties, and he seemed really nice. He did roll call, handed out the syllabus, and then sat around talking about psychology and why we were all interested in it. I wasn't ready to share with the world exactly why I was interested, so when Dr. Banner asked me, I gave a somewhat vague answer.

"I dealt with a traumatic event, and therapy helped me get through it," I told him. Sensing that I wasn't going to say anything more, Dr. Banner moved on. I could see Edward looking at me from the corner of my eye, but I ignored him, choosing instead to focus on the notebook in front of me.

With class over, I checked the clock on the wall and knew I had plenty of time to meet Alice in the cafeteria, so I took my time shoving my notebook into my messenger bag.

"Meeting Alice for lunch?" Edward asked as he stood up from his chair.

"Yeah. Want to join us?" I asked, tossing my bag across my back.

"I wish, but I've got another class after this."

"Bummer."

He grinned as we headed out the door. "Nah, it's not so bad. I've only got one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so it works out well."

We waved goodbye to one another as he began walking toward a small building tucked away on the corner. I didn't know what classes were held there, but I guess I'd find out eventually. Heading into the student center, I went up the stairs to the cafeteria and got in line. Nothing in the lunch line looked appealing, so I grabbed a glass of milk and made my way toward the sandwich deli. With ham and Swiss on rye and a side of potato chips on my tray, I scanned the room until I spotted Alice. She was sitting at a round table near a corner, and I dodged people as I made my way toward her.

"Yay! You made it!" she grinned, and I grinned right back.

"I did, and I managed to survive my first day of classes," I told her, giving Jasper a wave as I took a seat.

"Well now, darlin' that's good to hear," he said, flashing me a wink.

"Oh, it turns out I have a class with Edward," I told Alice as we began to discuss our morning.

"Which one?"

"Intro to Human Relationships."

She wrinkled her nose and told me it didn't sound like a very fun class, but she got a kick out of things when I told her all about my disastrous dance class.

"Oh, I've got to see this," she said with a wicked grin as I shook my head at her.

"No, you really don't. It's completely awful. I'm just grateful my dance partner is patient and has a good sense of humor."

"Well, I have to, considering you stomped all over my toes," a deep voice said, and I grinned when I saw Jake and some guy standing near us. "Mind if we sit?"

I shook my head and watched as Alice gave Jake and the other guy a big hug. Apparently, she knew them, as did Jasper.

"Swan, this is my boyfriend, Sam Uley. Sam, this is Bella Swan. She's the dance partner I was telling you about."

I flushed ten shades of red, terrified to think of what he'd told his boyfriend about me. Sam flashed me a grin and shook my hand, telling me not to listen to anything Jake had to say.

"He thinks he's funny, but he's really not," Sam whispered to me, and I let out a giggle.

As I ate lunch, I watched the two couples at the table with me. They were so incredibly sweet with each other and seemed to be very much in love. They were what young relationships should be about. Looking at them, I realized my relationship with Mike had never been like that. That relationship had been all about control, and there had been no compromising.

"You okay, Bella?" Alice asked me, and I turned to look at her.

"Huh?"

"You totally zoned out," she said. "I asked if you were ready to go. Jazz has another class, but I'm free for the afternoon if you want to hang out together."

"Oh, yeah, I'm done. Sorry. Got lost in my thoughts," I apologized, and they all shook it off.

Alice and I said goodbye to the boys and made our way back to our room. As soon as we were there, I tossed my bag on my desk chair and flopped down on my bed. I was exhausted and totally wanted to take a nap, except if I did, I wouldn't sleep tonight.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Alice asked me again as she sat on the floor and scrolled through her iPod looking for some music to listen to.

"I'm fine. I promise."

She shot a look over her shoulder at me as if she didn't believe me, but she let it go. I was fine. It wasn't a lie.

"How do you feel about One Direction?" she asked, and I shot her a look of disgust.

"Seriously? Do I look like a teeny bopper?"

"They're not so bad. They have a few good songs," she protested, but I shook my head. So not happening. We finally settled on Maroon 5 and talked about the decorations we wanted to get for the room before we somehow ended up the subject of boys.

"Do you have a boyfriend back home?"

I shook my head no before asking her how she met Jasper.

"We met in the parking lot on move-in day last year. Emmett was helping him out and flirting with Rose, and I swear I fell in love with him the minute I saw him."

"That must be wonderful," I said wistfully.

"Don't worry, Bella. You'll meet your one true love soon. I just know it!"

I scoffed, not so sure about that. So far, the only guys I'd met were taken, gay, or both. Granted, it was only the first day of classes, so I could still meet someone before I graduated. Well, the one guy I might be interested in was off limits, and I'd already been warned not to "poach" on her territory. Not that I would anyway. I wasn't that kind of girl.

Around four, there was a knock on our door, and Alice got up to answer it. Emmett and Rosalie were on the other side and wanted to know if we needed anything from Target. I didn't, but Alice claimed she did. They invited me along, but I shook my head and declined, thanking them for the offer.

After Alice left, I turned the music down a bit and curled up on my bed with my favorite book of all time, _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_. I'd read it a million times, the pages well-loved and worn, and I was quickly immersed in Harry's adventure. I soon lost track of time, and the ringing of my phone completely startled me.

"Mom! I was going to call you," I told her, feeling guilty that I hadn't called the second my classes were over.

"I know you were, but I decided to beat you to it," she said, and I could hear a smile in her voice. "How was your first day?"

"It was good, although I'm regretting signing up for that stupid dance class," I told her, smiling when she laughed. I missed her. Well, I missed both of them, and I'd only been gone for a weekend. I was really close to my parents, and I really appreciated the wonderful relationship we had with each other.

"Have you made any friends?" she asked, and I was reminded of my first day of first grade. She'd asked that same question then.

"I have. Alice and I have bonded really well, and I'm becoming friends with her boyfriend and her family. Plus, my dance partner, Jake, and his boyfriend seem really nice."

Mom and I talked for an hour, and then when Dad got home, I talked to him as well. They told me to keep them updated and informed on things and not to forget about them. That wasn't going to happen. Hanging up the phone, I glanced at my nightstand and realized it was after seven. My stomach let out a fierce rumble, so I shoved my feet into my shoes, grabbed my keys and wallet, and made my way over to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was surprisingly empty, and I felt a twinge of disappointment that no one I knew was there. I grabbed some lasagna, a roll, and a glass of water before sitting at the same table I'd sat at earlier in the day. I felt a bit pathetic sitting by myself, but I tried not to dwell on it, wishing I'd brought a book to read or something. Instead, I stared out the window that overlooked the quad while I ate my dinner.

Once I was done, I headed out the door, but I wasn't ready to go back\k to my room just yet. It was a nice night out with a warm breeze, so I wandered toward the quad. I knew if my dad could see me walking around at dusk by myself, he'd thrown a fit, but I felt safe. I had the pepper spray on my keychain, and I made sure to sit on a bench underneath a light that was near the closest building. For a while, I just sat there, watching as people wandered by and thinking about things. Eventually though, the sun set, and I knew I needed to head in. Standing up and stretching, I let out a groan as my back popped before going back to my room.

"Where in the world have you been?" Alice screeched with disapproval on her face and her hands on her hips. She reminded me of Mrs. Weasley from _Harry Potter_ when she'd yelled at Ron and his brothers for taking the car without permission.

"Out," I replied, not feeling the need to explain my every move to her. I was nineteen, and Alice wasn't my mother. She was my roommate and my friend, but I wasn't going to question her whereabouts. Besides, she had my cell number. If she'd been so worried why hadn't she called me?

"By yourself?"

"Yes," I told her, grabbing my pajamas and leaving the room to go change in the bathroom. I had to admit, I was a bit put off by her sudden change in demeanor. I gave myself a few minutes to calm down before I headed back into the room.

Alice wasn't there, and I let out a sigh of relief. I really didn't understand why she was freaking out. It wasn't as if we'd made plans to get together for dinner or to do anything, nor did I have a curfew. Jesus. It wasn't even nine o'clock yet. Growling because I'd managed to work myself into a bad mood, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my friend, Angela. She hadn't gone off to college, choosing instead to take community college classes and work at a daycare. She loved it, but she was also one of seven kids, so she was used to being around children.

Immediately, I got a text back from her asking how I was and how school was going. She was one of the few friends that had stuck by me during the whole Mike fiasco. Angela never judged and was a great listener. She'd been my best friend since second grade, and I hoped we'd stay friends forever.

We texted back and forth for an hour until I was fighting off sleep. I knew she had an early morning, as did I, so we said goodnight and promised to keep in touch. Not long after I'd set my alarm, turned off the light, and climbed under the covers, I heard the door open. I could hear Alice moving around quietly, and eventually, I fell asleep, hoping that Alice's attitude would disappear by morning.

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**a/n: Let me know what you thought! I love to hear from you all, and yes, I know I suck at replying to your reviews. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Greetings from a hotel room in Iowa where I'm typing this on the world's smallest computer. My fingers are way too big for this tiny ass keyboard. Thank you all so much for the reviews for the last chapter. Each one is greatly appreciated. A huge thanks to my awesome beta, Heather. She fixes my errors and puts up with my comma issues.**

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**Chapter 4**

There was a slight strain between Alice and me over the next two days, not that I'd seen her much, or any of them for that matter. It was almost as if they were mad at me as well, and I couldn't figure out why. Well, I knew Alice was upset because I'd been out on my own, but I didn't understand _why _she was upset. I'd even tried to talk to her about it, but she'd shut me out. I'd called my mom as well as Angela and talked about it, and they'd suggested that Alice, was perhaps, embarrassed because she'd overreacted. Although, Mom did give me a lecture about walking around at night on my own even though I assured her I'd been just fine. It wasn't like I was cutting through alleyways in the dead of night in a bad part of town.

As I made my way to my psychology class, I wondered if Edward would talk to me or if he'd give me the same the treatment as was his sister. I'd had a really crappy day, having fallen and bruised myself in my dance class, and I really wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone's attitudes. Sitting down at the desk I'd shared with Edward on Monday, I got my book and notebook out and waited for class to begin. Edward came whizzing in seconds before class started and sat down next to me, not even glancing my way. _Whatever_. I tried to shrug it off, but I was upset by the sudden change in everyone. Halfway through class, though, Edward slid a piece of paper my way, and I glanced down to see that he'd asked if I was okay. I shrugged and wrote that I was fine. He shot me a disbelieving look and wrote the word _bullshit_ on the paper. I didn't have time to write anything back because Dr. Banner began asking us questions.

As soon as class let out, Edward reached out and touched my arm. "What did Alice do?"

I stared at him, my jaw dropping open. I assumed he'd be asking me what I did to Alice, not the other way around. My shock seemed to amuse him, and he shot me a grin.

"She's in a snit about something, and knowing her, and I do, it's most likely her own fault."

"She freaked out on me Monday night," I began to tell him as we walked down the stairs. "She'd gone off with Emmett and Rosalie, and I was chilling on my own. I went to dinner and then for a walk and didn't get back until a little after eight. When I got back, she demanded to know where I'd been. It's ridiculous!" I growled, getting worked up again just thinking about it.

"That sounds like Alice," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Emmett and I call her mini-mom behind her back. She can be very controlling at times."

"Yeah, well, I've dealt with someone controlling my every move before, and I'm not having it." I scowled.

"Does this have to do with that traumatic event you mentioned in class on Monday?"

I took a deep breath before I nodded. "Yeah, it does, but I don't want to talk about it just yet."

Edward nodded his head in understanding. "Well, when it comes to Alice, she'll come around eventually, and she'll apologize. She's most likely upset with herself for upsetting you. If she hasn't come around by tomorrow, let me know, and I'll straighten her out for you."

"Thanks," I told him, giving him a small smile.

"No problem. Feel free to vent to myself or Emmett about Alice any time you need to. We know how she is," he said with a wink.

I shook my head at him, but I was grinning. However, my grin was soon gone when I heard Lauren's voice.

"Eddie! There you are! We need to get going, or we'll be late for class. Unlike some people, we don't have time to stand around and chat," she whined, shooting me a nasty look and tugging at his arm.

Edward glanced at the fancy watch on his wrist before looking at her. "What are you on about, Lauren? We've still got time to make it to class."

She let out a huff, and I swore I thought she was going to stamp her foot like a child throwing a tantrum.

"Well, I need to talk to you now."

He rolled his eyes at her words and told me he'd see me later. I forced a smile as I waved at them and then headed to the cafeteria. I spotted Alice sitting with Jasper, but I was unsure if I was welcome, so I began to make my way to a different table when Jasper waved me over. With a sigh, I walked over to them and set my tray down as far away from Alice as possible. I was starving, and I knew if we got into an argument, I'd lose my appetite.

Jasper and I made small talk for a while until he finally turned to Alice and told her it was time. She looked over at me, and I was shocked to see tears in her eyes. Then, in a flash, she was beside me, throwing her arms around me, and babbling out an apology. She was talking at Mach speed, and I couldn't understand a majority of what she said. I looked to Jasper for help, but he just sat there with a goofy grin on his face.

I managed to extract myself from Alice's death grip and took a good look at her. She looked really torn up.

"I'm so sorry I acted like a mother hen," she cried, and I was afraid she was going to throw, herself at me again.

"I thought you acted more like Mrs. Weasley. 'Where have you been?! Beds empty, no note, car gone! You could have died!'" I recited in a high pitched voice.

Alice let loose with a giggle, and before I knew it, the three of us were laughing our asses off.

"I really am sorry, Bella. I know that I can be overbearing at times, and I hated myself for snapping at you," she said, wiping away a tear.

"I forgive you, but please don't do it again. I'm not a big fan of someone else trying to control my every move."

"I won't. I promise," she swore, and we were right as rain after that.

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September came and went in the blink of an eye. I'd been so busy getting into a routine and figuring out college life that it had flown right by. Well, that was until Dad called me one afternoon. I was walking back from the campus library when my phone rang, and seeing it was Dad, I answered immediately.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Hey, Bells! How is school?"

"Good. Classes are going well, and I've made some good friends. So, what's up?" I asked because Dad didn't just call without a reason.

He let out a heavy sigh that had me on alert immediately. Something wasn't right, so I took a seat underneath a tree on the quad as I waited for him to answer.

"Mike was released today," he said in a gruff voice, and I felt my stomach drop. I hadn't realized it had been six months.

"Already?"

"Yeah, but don't you worry, Bells. I've got cops in every city in Washington keeping an eye out for him; plus, you have a restraining order. He's not allowed anywhere near you."

The thought of Mike showing up scared the crap out of me, and I began to nervously pick at the grass beside me.

"Do you think he will show up here?"

"No. His mother informed me that he's leaving for California tomorrow, and I plan on following them to the airport if I have to."

We talked for a while longer, and then Dad put Mom on the phone. She told me she loved me, and she did her best to calm me down, and it worked. If Mike had any brains at all, which was doubtful, he would go to California and never come back. I knew what to do if he did show up, and that was to call the police.

I was bit off kilter for the rest of the day, and my friends immediately noticed, but I told them it was nothing. I wasn't ready to talk about Mike to them, but I did end up giving my therapist a call. I talked with her for over an hour about what I was feeling and thinking in regards to hearing about Mike being released. I'd known it was going to happen eventually, but I hadn't mentally prepared for it.

I did my best to put it past me and move on. For the next week though, I was on edge and kept thinking I was seeing him. I wasn't; I was just being paranoid. Eventually, things got back to normal, and before I even realized it, fall break was fast approaching. We'd have a three day weekend, and I was planning on spending it at home. I hadn't gone to visit Mom or Dad since I'd arrived. Granted, I didn't have a vehicle and that made it slightly difficult.

I'd managed to survive my first round of tests, quizzes, and my roommate's freak out. I'd say I was doing well. My classes were going well with the exception of my dance class, but I didn't mind it so much anymore because I had Jake to keep me entertained.

"Man, I'm so fucking glad fall break is almost here," Emmett said Friday night as we were sitting around in his room. It had become almost a tradition for the seven of us to hang out and watch movies together. Well, Edward and Lauren didn't always show, but tonight, they had. I'd been skeptical of chilling with all of them at once, afraid I'd feel like a fifth wheel or, in this case, a seventh wheel, but it wasn't too bad. For the most part, they tended to keep the couply stuff to themselves. You know the whole smooching and lovey dovey words. Not that I was opposed to romance; I wasn't. I just didn't want to see it all the time, especially when it came to Edward and Lauren.

Yes, I'd managed to develop a nice little crush on him, and it pained me to see him with her. I think Lauren knew my feelings for Edward had changed because she took every opportunity she could to touch him, kiss him, or feel him up in front of me. I shrugged it off as best as I could, but it really bothered me. In a way, I was glad I only saw Edward a few times a week. If I saw him more than that, I think I'd have a harder time coping with the whole unrequited love crap. Not that I was in love with him. It was just a harmless crush, like the one I had on Johnny Depp.

There were times when Lauren would ask me to hang out with her and Edward, whether it was at dinner in the caf or outside on the quad, and I always declined. I wasn't stupid. I knew she wanted to make me uncomfortable with her overzealous displays of PDA. Edward seemed to have caught on to what she was doing, lately, he'd begun pushing her away or chiding her gently. I figured he didn't like being used, and who could blame him?

"Okay, Bella, what are we watching tonight?" Emmett asked, interrupting my thoughts. We always took turns picking the movies, and it looked like tonight was mine.

"What are the choices?" I asked, moving from my spot on the floor to the six random movies on Jasper's bed.

I took my time looking at the movies before me. I immediately vetoed the romance movie that had been tossed into the bunch. I'd had to suffer through _The Notebook _two weeks ago, and that had been a disaster. I hated sappy romance movies, and I felt uncomfortable watching them in a room full of couples.

"Well?" Lauren asked snidely, and I rolled my eyes and caught Alice's eye. She rolled hers as well.

Grinning, I reached out and snagged the movie I'd been leaning toward for a while. I held up _Hostel_, much to the delight of the boys and the groans of the girls.

"Really, Bella? Really?" Alice asked with a groan, and I grinned. I loved gory horror movies, particularly foreign ones. Sadly, they didn't have any of those, so I'd have to bring some over next time.

I settled back down on the bean bag chair on the floor after putting the movie in the DVD player. Emmett turned the lights off, Edward closed the blinds, and we were soon encased in darkness. I loved it. The only way to watch horror movies was in the dark.

As the movie played, I could hear sounds of couples kissing, and I did my best to ignore it. I certainly didn't want to look around and see it. It sounded like it was coming from the bed to the right of me, which would be Edward's, and I gritted my teeth. Alice must have seen my reaction because she tossed a pillow across the room and told them to cut it out.

"No one wants to hear the two of you playing tonsil hockey," she said, shooting me a wink.

"Fine, we'll go," Lauren replied in a haughty tone, getting up from Edward's bed and almost stepping on me. "C'mon, Edward."

"I'm gonna stay and watch the movie," he told her, and she let out a huff as she stumbled toward the door and fumbled to open it. I winced as she slammed the door shut with enough force to rattle the bookshelf.

"Dude! What is going on with the two of you?" Emmett asked after he paused the movie.

I saw Edward run his hands through his hair, tugging on the strands before flopping down on his bed.

"I don't fucking know. She's been super clingy for the past month, and it's really starting to piss me off. I've tried to talk to her to find out what's going on, but she claims everything is fine."

"She's jealous," Rose said from her spot on Jasper's bed next to Emmett. She and I had become good friends over the past month. I wasn't as close to her as I was Alice, but she was definitely a good friend to have.

"What?" the guys asked, all of them looking at her.

Rose reached up and flipped the light switch causing us all to wince as light filled the room.

"Seriously, guys? It's so obvious."

"But why?" Edward asked, confusion on his face. "She's got nothing to be jealous of."

"Sure she does," Alice chimed in. "She's jealous of Bella and the friendship you have with her."

Edward's mouth dropped open as he stared at her and then at me. "But—what?" he spluttered.

Alice got up and walked over to him. "She sees your friendship with Bella as a threat to her relationship with you. You said yourself that Lauren's been acting weird for about a month. We've known Bella for about that long."

"Jesus," Edward said with a sigh, his hands in his hair again, giving me a strange look. "Does Lauren really have so little faith in me that she thinks I'd do something to jeopardize what we have?"

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. You need to talk to her though before things get out of hand."

"Out of hand how?" he asked.

"Dude! Jealous chicks can get crazy," Emmett said. "Didn't you ever see _Fatal Attraction_? She could start boiling bunnies or some shit."

"Well fuck," Edward muttered as he got off his bed and headed out the door. Lauren had certainly managed to ruin our movie night, and that pissed me off. I'd been in the mood for some mindless distraction.

"Well, this has been fun," I said, standing up from the bean bag chair and stretching. I felt a little bit awkward knowing I was the reason for the tension in the room. Well, I'd known all along that Lauren didn't like me, and some of it was jealousy, but it felt weird to have Edward knowing that.

"Don't go," Emmett begged. "We can still finish the movie."

I gave him a small smile. "I'm suddenly not in the mood anymore. I'm sorry I've managed to bring discord to the group."

Rose let out a delicate snort and rolled her eyes. "Puh-lease. There's been discord amongst us and Lauren since she and Edward started dating. We only tolerate her for his sake."

"She must have some redeeming qualities. Why else would Edward date her?" I asked.

Jasper and Emmett exchanged looks, and I saw Emmett begin to speak, but Jasper shook his head. I raised an eyebrow their way, and Emmett blurted out that she could probably suck like a hoover, and that's why Edward stayed with her.

"Emmett Cullen!" Rose shouted before smacking him on the back of the head while Alice and I grimaced at the thought. Yeah, I didn't want to think about Lauren doing anything to Edward.

"I would hope there was more to their relationship than that," I said. "He's a really nice guy, and she's a total bitch. I just don't get it."

Alice shook her head. "We don't either. He met her last year at Homecoming, and they've been together since. Edward knows we don't really like her, but he also knows we'll keep it to ourselves."

"For now, anyway," Rose interjected. "The minute she says something nasty to my face, I'm taking the bitch down."

I stayed and talked for a few more minutes before excusing myself. I left Edward's room and headed toward the door that led to the stairwell. I was about to open it when I heard voices arguing behind it. Voices that belonged to none other than Edward and Lauren. I knew I should walk away; nothing good ever came from eavesdropping, but I couldn't. I stood there, my heart beating loudly in my chest as I listened to them argue.

"No, Lauren!" I heard Edward say in a hushed voice, his tone straining as he tried to hold onto his temper. "I won't stop being friends with her just because you're jealous. You have nothing to be jealous of. You know I'd never cheat on you."

"Jealous!" she shrieked. "I'm not jealous of that pasty-white, pathetic waif of a girl!"

_Hey, now!_ I wasn't pathetic nor was I a waif. Though, I did cop to being pasty-white. Not much could be done about that.

"You sure sound jealous to me," Edward said, and my eyebrows rose. It sounded like he was purposely goading her into a fight.

"Whatever. I'm taller, prettier, and have bigger boobs than she does. Only an idiot would leave me for her, and you aren't an idiot, are you, Edward?"

"You need to back off," he urged, not bothering to answer her question. "Bella's my friend, whether you like it or not."

Lauren let out a huff before agreeing to behave. I heard sounds of kissing from behind the door and decided that taking the elevator, at the moment, would be the best idea. I felt a bit sick to my stomach, knowing that he cared for her so much, but there was nothing I could do about it. It was best to set aside whatever it was I felt for him and just move on, but I had a feeling that wasn't going to be easy.

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**a/n: Poor Bella. It sucks crushing on the unattainable guy, and nothing good ever seems to come from eavesdropping. As always, let me know what you thought!  
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	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Woot! Made it a few minutes before midnight, so I still got this posted on Saturday. So from what I've gathered, we all hate Lauren, and I do promise she's not around much longer. Some of you have been very vocal in your dislike of her, and I totally get it. I wanted to thank you all (yes even you, my nasty little guest reviewer) for all the reviews. They're much appreciated, and big thanks to Heather for fixing my errors. **

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"Oh, baby! I've missed you so much!" Mom cried as she gave me a tight hug. I eagerly returned it before letting go and telling her I'd missed her too.

"Mom, you remember Alice, Edward, and Emmett right?" I asked, and she nodded. I then introduced her to Jasper, Rose, and Lauren. Mom smiled at them, but I saw her smile dim a little when she looked at Lauren. Maybe Mom saw what we did, the evil darkness of our little group.

I waved goodbye to them before promising to meet up for dinner on Sunday. All of them were headed to the Cullen mansion, and a mansion it was, for the weekend.

"So you're friends with that Lauren girl?" Mom asked once we were in the car.

I let out a snort. "Hardly. She's Edward's girlfriend, so it's a packaged deal. If we want to hang out with him, she will likely be around too."

"Hmm."

"She's a pain in the ass," I told Mom.

"And, I'm sure it doesn't help that she's dating the boy you have a crush on."

I stared at her, my mouth having fallen open. "What?"

Mom grinned and shook her head. "Don't play dumb with me, Bella. I've known you your whole life, and I've never seen you look at a boy the way you were looking at him."

_Oh, God._ Embarrassment rushed through me, and I knew my face was as red as a tomato. If my mom had seen that, what were the chances that everyone else did as well? I buried my face in my hands, not wanting to talk about it.

"Things will work out if they're meant to," Mom said before changing the subject. She told me Dad had to work late, but we'd hold dinner for him so we could all eat together.

The first thing I did when I got home was toss myself down on my queen-sized bed. I'd sure missed being able to stretch out and not worry about falling off the bed.

Later that night over dinner, I got quite the surprise, one I hadn't seen coming.

"We have a late birthday present for you," Dad said over a homemade dinner of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

"What? You didn't have to get me anything else. You already got me that gift card," I said.

"Don't argue, Bells," Dad said, pointing his fork at me. I nodded and told them thank you even though I didn't know what I was getting. Birthdays weren't a big deal to me, but Mom loved them. She'd thrown me all kinds of themed birthday parties until she realized I'd hated them.

After dinner, Dad made me close my eyes before walking me outside. I stumbled more than once and would have fallen flat on my face if he hadn't been there to catch me.

"Okay, kiddo. You can look."

I opened my eyes and gasped at what was in front of me. It was beautiful in an ugly sort of way. A Ford Fusion in neon green, and I mean _neon green_. It probably glowed in the dark.

"I—how?" I managed to fumble out.

Mom and Dad let out a laugh, and Dad told me he'd gotten a great deal on it. The dealer was a guy Dad had helped out one night, and the man was trying to clear his inventory so he could get the next years cars in.

"He'd had this car on his lot for a year after someone custom ordered it and then never bought it. He's been trying to get rid of it forever and offered me a fantastic price on it. However, there are some rules," he said, and I nodded, willing to agree to whatever they were.

"No speeding, no talking on the phone and no texting while driving. You'll be responsible for paying for your own gas, but your mom and I will cover the car insurance until you're out of school. Agreed?"

"Agreed!" I shouted before throwing myself at him and squeezing him tight. I then danced my way over to Mom and hugged her as well. I never thought, in a million years, they would buy me a car, much less a nice car. I mean, besides the bright ass color, it was a really nice car. I couldn't believe it!

The next day I drove my new car over to Angela's house where we caught up on things and just hung out. She told me that she'd started dating a guy named Ben Cheney who went to her church. He was a few years older than us and worked at the lumber mill outside of town. She seemed really happy, and I was happy for her. We talked a bit about school, and then she asked me about Edward. She knew I liked him, and she knew there was a girlfriend in the picture. I told her the girlfriend was a permanent fixture and wasn't going anywhere, so I needed to move on.

Sunday afternoon, I said goodbye to Mom and Dad and climbed behind the wheel of Iona, the name I'd given my car. I put on my seatbelt, fired her up, and slowly backed out of the drive. Dad made me promise to call as soon as I made it back so that they knew I'd arrived safely. I agreed.

I spent the drive rocking out to music on my iPod and enjoying the feel of being behind the wheel. It felt so incredibly awesome to have wheels, but I didn't want to drive her around unnecessarily. Gas cost money, and while I had some saved up, I didn't want to spend it all putting gas in the tank.

I pulled into the dorm parking lot and gave myself a mental reminder to get a parking permit in the morning. I climbed out and was grabbing my bag when I heard Alice holler my name. I turned around and saw her exciting Emmett's Hummer, and I gave her a wave. She jogged over to me with the rest of the gang following slowly behind her.

"Is this yours?" she asked, pointing to Iona.

I nodded excitedly. "Yep. Mom and Dad got it for me for my birthday."

Alice put her hands on her hips and looked at me. "When is it?"

"My birthday? Oh, it was in September."

"What?!" she screeched, and I swore dogs from miles away probably heard her.

"What's the problem, darlin'?" Jasper asked, catching up to us and putting his hands on her tiny waist.

"Bella's birthday was in September, and she didn't let us know!"

"Now you've done it," Edward said with a shake of his head as he approached us, and I noticed that Lauren was absent.

"It's not a big deal," I told them. "Really, it's not. I'm not a big fan of birthdays."

"Too bad," Alice said, sticking her tongue out at me. "We're taking you out to dinner tonight. No cafeteria food for the birthday girl. No arguing!"

I wisely bit my tongue and nodded in agreement. I didn't realize that not mentioning my birthday was going to be that big of a deal, but apparently, Alice took birthdays seriously.

"Nice wheels, Bells," Emmett hollered as he and Rose made their way over to us. "Kind of ugly though."

"Hey! My baby isn't ugly. She's unique. Besides, I'll always be able to find my car in the parking lot."

"There is that," Emmett agreed.

Alice and I went up to our room to drop off our stuff after agreeing to meet everyone downstairs in the common area.

"How was your weekend?" I asked her as I put away my clothes and stored my duffel bag.

"Interesting," she said, and I waited for her to expand on her comment, but she didn't. I knew she'd talk about it if or when she was ready. "What about yours?"

"Excellent. I got to hang out with one of my best friends, and I hung out with my folks. It was a nice break and well needed."

Alice's phone buzzed with a text, and she read it before rolling her eyes. "Boys. They're so impatient."

She fired a text off to whomever it was before heading toward our closet. I watched as she dug through my clothes before tossing me a dress that I'd only worn once or twice.

"Put that on with those brown leggings and wear your boots," she instructed before pulling a dress off the hanger on her side of the closet.

I knew better than to argue with her now, so I began to get dressed. After I was deemed beautiful by Alice, she fixed my hair and makeup.

"Wow," I said, getting a look at myself in the mirror. Alice had done an amazing job. I wasn't one for wearing makeup very often, so it was weird to see myself all dolled up.

"Geez! We'll be there in a second. Calm down!" Alice shouted into the phone while applying mascara at the same time. I was a bit impressed with her multitasking skills.

"Damn, girl. We look good," Alice said, posing next to me and snapping a quick picture of us with her phone. I had a feeling that picture would end up on Facebook somewhere.

I followed Alice out the door, and we were greeted with whistles from all the boys and Rose as we entered the common area. I gave a little curtsy while Alice twirled around, and I noticed, once again, that Lauren was absent from our group.

"Beautiful as always," Jasper told Alice, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. They were so damn adorable together, and my heart let out a sigh at the look of love on their faces.

"Ready, Freddy?" Emmett asked us, and we all nodded. I didn't have a clue as to where we were going, but it must have been some place fancy since we were all dressed up.

"So where are we going?" I asked them once we were all buckled in.

"The Book Bindery," Edward told me. "The restaurant is in an old building that used to be a book bindery, hence the name."

We arrived at the restaurant, and I thanked Edward as he helped me out of the Hummer. We all walked in together, and it almost felt like a group date, except that I wasn't dating Edward. I did wonder where Lauren was and why she didn't come with, but it could be they offered, and she declined.

"No Lauren?" I asked him quietly as we went inside. Edward shook his head and left it at that. Obviously something had happened over the three day weekend, and no one wanted to talk about it. I told myself it wasn't my business anyway and tried to shrug it off.

A few minutes later, the six of us were seated in what looked to be a greenhouse, and I almost had a heart attack when I looked at the prices on the menu.

"This is our treat, so order what you want," Alice told me, and I opened my mouth to argue, but I was quickly shut down by one look from her. I heaved a sigh and went back to looking at the menu. I was uncomfortable with them spending so much money on me, and it would be quite a bit seeing as how the cheapest thing on the menu was twelve dollars, and that was an appetizer.

I took a few minutes to look through the limited menu and decided that the pan seared halibut sounded delicious even as I winced at the price. We all gave our orders and sat around talking about our weekend.

"I take it you had a good break?" Edward asked, and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I did. I certainly didn't think I'd be coming back from break with a car, and I'm still in a bit of shock about it."

"I think it's super cool that your folks did that," Rose said.

"I was floored," I told them. "Shocked, really. Sowhat did you guys do over the break?"

"Ed, Jasper, and I played some ball," Emmett said with a shrug. "Nothing exciting or anything."

"Yeah, I went shopping with Esme, their mom, and Alice. We went to a movie and whatnot, but basically, we all just relaxed," Rose told me.

Once again, I noticed that Lauren hadn't been mentioned, but I knew she'd gone with them. I figured I'd broach the subject later as I didn't want to ruin our dinner.

Soon, our entrees were in front of us, and I barely contained the moan that wanted to leave my lips as I took a bite. It was delicious, and considering what it cost, it should have been.

"How's your food?" Edward asked from across the table.

"Excellent. Yours?" I asked him, looking at the pork loin on his plate.

"Fantastic. Want a bite?" he asked, and I made a face. I hated pork. "Just give it a try."

Sighing, I took the small piece he offered and took a tiny bite. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I offered him some fish in return and caught the smile playing on Alice's lips. I raised an eyebrow at her, but she shook her head and resumed her conversation with Rose.

"Not bad," Edward said after eating the bite I'd given him.

After dinner was done and the astronomically large bill was paid, we went back to the dorms. It was closing in on eight, and I still had some reading to finish for my botany and criminology classes. I thanked them profusely for dinner, and I was wished a happy belated birthday by all of them.

"Full?" Edward asked as he held out a hand to help me out of the backseat of the Hummer.

"Yeah. You may have to carry me up the stairs," I said, only half joking. I'd eaten so much, and then Emmett had insisted on dessert, and I'd been unable to resist the call of cheesecake.

"Sure," he said, turning around so his back was facing me. "Hop on."

I suddenly felt as if we'd entered a different friendship dimension, and it almost felt like flirting. As much as I disliked Lauren, I wouldn't do that to her.

"Nah, I'm good," I declined. "Thanks for the offer though."

There was no way I could've handled being that close to him, and I was really glad I declined when I saw Lauren standing in the common area with some of her friends. She shot me a nasty look before glaring at Edward. I sensed trouble in paradise. Was she pissed that he'd gone out with us instead of hanging out with her, or maybe that they hadn't invited her along? Either way, she didn't look happy to see any of us neither did her friends. The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife, so I told them I had some reading to catch up on, and then I made a beeline for the stairs. I felt slightly bad about leaving, but not bad enough to stick around. Whatever was going on, it was between my friends and Lauren, and it wasn't my business. Not that I wasn't dying to know, because I totally was.

I spent the next hour reading and taking notes before I found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. It had been a long day filled with lots of excitement, and it was catching up with me. Closing my book and notebook, I shoved them into my bag before changing into my pajamas and climbing into bed. I made sure my alarm was set and snuggled under my covers. I must have drifted off to sleep because, a while later, I was jolted awake by the slamming of a door. I shot up in my bed, terrified.

"Crap! Sorry, Bella," Alice said, irritation evident in her voice. Something was obviously wrong.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, burrowing back under my blankets.

"No. No, I'm not. I'm just—argh! I'm so fed up with her and her crap!"

"Her who?' I asked. Though, I was pretty sure I knew the answer.

"Who do you think? Lauren, of course. God, she's such a bitch!" Alice shouted, and I hadn't seen her that worked up since she'd gotten mad at me a month ago.

"Who does she think she is? Does she think that the rest of us don't see her for what she really is? She's a gold digging slut, and I'll be damned if I allow my twin brother to stay with her any longer."

I kept quiet and just let Alice vent. She obviously needed to get it off her chest, and who could blame her?

"She threw a huge fit at our house, embarrassed the hell out of Edward, and Mom kicked her out."

"Wait. Hold up. Your mom kicked Lauren out of her house?" I asked, enjoying the thought far more than I should have.

"Yep," she said, popping the "P" as she sat down on her bed and ran her hand through her hair much like her brother did.

"Can I ask why?"

"As you know, we tolerate Lauren for Edward's sake, and our parents are the same way. Mom thinks Lauren will do anything and everything she can to trap Edward into marriage, and Mom's not about to let that happen," Alice said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Lauren usually plays nice when my parents are around, but she started bitching about you and how you were trying to come between her and Edward."

"What? No, I'm not. I wouldn't do that."

"I know you wouldn't even though it's obvious you're head over heels for him." she grinned.

"No, I'm not," I scoffed. "I just think he's cute, and I might like him a little."

"Whatever," she sang. "Anyway, I've talked to Mom and Dad about you a lot, since you're like my closest friend, so they weren't buying a word of what Lauren was selling. Then Lauren called you a conniving bitch, and that's when Mom lost it. She told Lauren she needed to leave, and she wasn't welcome in her house."

"Wow," I said, staring at Alice. I couldn't believe her mother had defended me like that. She didn't even know me.

"Lauren was furious, and she demanded that Edward bring her back here, but Edward told her no. He told her to call a cab."

"No!" I gasped. "Did he really?"

Alice nodded with glee. "Oh, yeah. Her face turned bright red, and she stomped out of the house, slamming the door on the way out. She called one of her friends to come and get her."

I sat there amazed by the turn of events.

"But, they're still together, right?"

Alice shrugged. "I think so, but I don't think they'll be staying together for much longer. Edward's getting tired of her attitude and particularly with the way she talks shit about you. He's not very happy about that."

I tried to ignore the giddy feeling that was rushing over me and told myself Edward just didn't appreciate people talking badly about his friends.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night. My mind was going over everything Alice had said, and I was trying my best not to read too much into things. Edward just happened to be a really nice guy and a friend, nothing more. Eventually, I fell asleep, and that was the first night I dreamt of Edward.

* * *

**a/n: See? Things are moving on. I did warn you this was a slow burn. Lauren is well on her way out the door. As always let me know what you thought.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: You all are awesome. Thanks so much for your reviews! Things are starting to move along, so I'll let you get to it. Big thanks to Heather for being such an awesome beta!**

* * *

"Holy crap, Edward! You look awful!" I exclaimed as he took his seat next to me in class.

He shot me a dirty look and muttered thanks, but he really did look awful. His skin was paler than normal, and he had dark circles under his eyes, almost giving him a vampirish look.

"Were you up all night studying for the test?" I asked him, and he shook his head.

"I wish. I'm gonna end up failing this test. I didn't get much studying done at all," he told me quietly.

"Why not?"

He shook his head and told me he'd tell me later. I nodded and accepted the test that was being handed to me by Dr. Banner. Unlike Edward, I'd studied and felt confident that I'd do well on the test. I was one of the first people finished, and I handed in my test before leaving. There was a small sitting area outside the classroom, so I took a seat and cracked open a book to wait for Edward.

As I was sitting there, I saw Lauren walking down the hall with one of her friends, Bree or something. I prayed she wouldn't see me because I had no doubt she'd have something unpleasant to say. Ducking my head so that my hair fell in front of my face, I pulled my book closer to me and sighed with relief when the two of them passed by.

"Can you believe she said that to me?" I heard Lauren ask her friend. "I mean, really. I'm his girlfriend. She can't talk to me like that."

Her friend made some noise of agreement, and I lost the rest of the conversation as they turned the corner. Looked like someone wasn't happy with the way things had gone over the weekend.

A few minutes after Lauren went by, Edward walked out of the classroom, and he looked really upset. He gave me a small smile, but it was forced, and I couldn't help but reach out and give his arm a gentle squeeze.

"That bad, huh?'

He nodded, a hand going to his hair. "I think so."

"I think you'll be okay. One test isn't going to kill you, and you have an 'A' in the class right now."

"I guess," he said, now shoving his hands into his pocket.

"Want to tell me what's going on with you? You've been different for the past week," I commented as we began walking toward the stairwell.

"Shit with Lauren. She's been talking marriage and crap, and I'm so not ready for that. Honestly, after the way she acted at my house and the tension she caused while she was there, I'm not sure what I feel for her anymore. I mean, whatever I've felt, it was never true love, but …" he trailed off in a quiet voice with a guilty look on his face.

"You're young, and I think it's completely understandable that you aren't ready to get married. I know I sure as hell wasn't when I was asked," I told him before I realized I'd said too much. I let out a heavy sigh, and I hoped like hell he'd ignore what I'd said, but he didn't.

"What?" he asked, staring at me with a confused expression.

"My ex asked me, but I wasn't ready, so I told him no."

I didn't feel the need to elaborate on what had happened after I'd said no. Edward didn't need to know the details.

"Is that why you broke up?" he wanted to know.

"It led to why we broke up," I replied vaguely and began to walk a little faster.

"I think Lauren and I are headed that way. I'm sure Alice told you about Lauren's attitude while we were at home?"

I nodded.

"Yeah, well, it's getting out of control. She's rude and demanding, and now she wants to get married? She's giving me whiplash, and I'm left feeling not only confused, but angry as well."

"Maybe the two of you need to sit down and have a talk. Figure things out," I suggested even though it pained me to do so.

"I know we do, but every time I get her alone to talk to her, she tries to distract me with sex or other things," he told me, his face flushing a bit.

"So make her listen to you," I insisted. He nodded his agreement, and then we parted ways. He was off to class, and I was off to meet Alice and Jasper in the cafeteria. It had become tradition for the three of us to eat lunch together on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Tuesdays and Thursdays was the whole gang minus Lauren because she had class at the time we went. Sure, we could have changed to a later time, but none of us really wanted to and Edward didn't seem to mind.

"How did your test go?" Alice asked me once I'd gone through the line and was sitting down at the table.

"I think it went really well. Edward, on the other hand, isn't feeling so great about it."

She frowned at my words. "I'm worried about him."

"Me, too," I told her, but not elaborating much more. I knew Alice and Edward were extremely close, but I wasn't sure if he'd want me to divulge the information he'd shared with me earlier, so I kept my mouth shut.

The rest of my day was uneventful and quiet. Alice and Jasper had gone out on a date, so I went over to Rose's room to see if she wanted to go to the diner for dinner. I was just about to knock on her door when I heard moans and other sexual sounds coming from behind it. I escaped as quickly as possible. There were some things I just didn't need to hear. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I scurried toward the stairwell to head to the diner by myself.

It had been some time since I'd eaten alone, and I felt a bit pathetic as I ordered my burger and fries before sitting at a table by myself. I saw a few people I knew from different classes, but I didn't know them well enough to join them for dinner.

"All by yourself?" a voice asked, and I looked up to see Jake and Sam standing next to my table.

"Yep," I nodded. "But feel free to join me so I don't seem so pathetic."

They let out laughs before setting their food down on the table and taking their seats. I felt a lot better and less self-conscious now that I had someone at the table. I didn't often get to hang out with Jake and Sam, mainly because they had jobs, lived off campus, and were always busy doing plays or some kind of theater work. I did see Jake three times a week in our horrid dance class which, by the way, wasn't getting any easier. If anything, our professor kept picking more complicated dances for us to learn and for me to fail. My classmates were so used to seeing me fall, trip, or stumble across my own feet that it didn't faze them anymore.

"There's supposed to be this awesome Halloween party this weekend. Why don't you come? You can bring the Cullens as well," Sam suggested after taking a sip of his Coke.

I wasn't one for parties. As a matter of fact, I'd never been to a college party, and I honestly didn't think I was missing anything. Alice, on the other hand, loved going to parties, so she went to them with Jasper or Rose and Emmett quite a bit. Thankfully, she never came home plastered or anything.

"I'll talk to Alice about it. I'm sure she'd love to go, especially since it's a Halloween party," I told him. Alice loved holidays, and she'd decorated the hell out of our room for Halloween. We had ghosts, cobwebs, skeletons, and other Halloween themed crap on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't that I didn't like Halloween, I did, but I wasn't one for going all out like Alice.

"Awesome!" Sam exclaimed.

We ate and talked for almost an hour before saying our goodbyes and going our separate ways. Well, me going one way and them going the other. It had been nice to see them, I thought to myself as I made my way across campus. It was starting to get dark, so I hurried my steps a bit more until I entered the dorm.

I was a bit startled to find there was a party going on in the common area, or at least it looked that way. There were tons of students lounging on chairs or standing around, and then I noticed there was a sports game playing on the large TV in the room. That certainly explained everything. I spied Emmett and Rose cozied up on a couch watching the game and waved when they saw me. Heading up the stairs, I opened my room and found it empty although I wasn't really surprised. A lot of times, Alice came in late when she was out with Jasper. Alone in my room, I read, took notes, and studied before calling it a night.

* * *

"No," I argued as Alice thrust a slightly skimpy outfit at me. "No way in hell are you getting me into that."

Twenty minutes later, she'd done just that. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how she'd gotten me to agree to wear this farce of a costume. It wasn't something I would have ever picked out to wear, and Alice knew it. She enjoyed pushing me out of my comfort zone.

"You look amazing!" Alice gushed. "You'll definitely be getting some looks tonight."

"Great," I muttered. "Nothing I love more than the unwanted attention of drunken cretins."

Once Alice declared we were perfect, we went up to Emmett's room where we were meeting everyone else before heading to the Halloween party. I was curious to see if Lauren was coming with us. Edward had sat down and had a talk with her, and I guess she realized that if she continued to push him, she'd lose him, so she'd calmed down. She was still a bitch when she ran into me and I was alone, but whenever Edward was around, she played nice. I saw right through her crap, and I didn't trust her one tiny bit.

"Ow, ow, ladies!" Emmett called before letting out a wolf whistle, and I blushed bright red. Alice had dressed me as Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_, but the outfit was far sexier than what Belle ever wore, or me, for that matter. It was essentially the golden dress that Belle wore, except it was incredibly short in the front. Hell, if it got any shorter, I'd be flashing my undies to the world. I was grateful that at least it wasn't low cut. Not that I had much in the boob department, but I would have felt more uncomfortable had I been flashing bra enhanced cleavage.

Alice was dressed like a sexy _Alice in Wonderland_. I wasn't surprised at all, but I was surprised to see Jasper dressed as the Mad Hatter, and a very good looking one at that. Looking around the room, I realized that my costume was actually the most conservative of all of the women. Rose was dressed like a pirate as was Emmett, and they both looked dashing. Edward was dressed as Robin Hood, and he looked delicious. Lauren was there as well, and I wasn't sure, but I thought she was supposed to be Maid Marian from the _Robin Hood _story. However, she looked more like a slutty bar wench.

"We ready?" Jasper asked, clasping Alice's tiny hand in his. We all nodded, and we began our trek to the house where the party was. Thankfully, it was close by so no one had to drive even though I'd offered to be the designated driver. I certainly wasn't planning on drinking. I wasn't twenty-one yet, and I was a cop's daughter. Plus, I didn't much care to make an ass of myself in front of a house full of people.

I spotted the house the second we rounded the corner. You could hear the music thumping, and there were people spilling out the door and into the yard. It was crazy and jammed pack, so I made sure to stick close to Alice and Jasper as we made our way into the house.

"Bella!" I heard someone calling my name, and I turned around to scan the room. There, in the corner, was Jake, waving his hands over his head like a fool and spilling beer out of his plastic cup. I waved back and debated on whether or not to try and make my way over toward him. Deciding I would, I turned back around to let Alice know, but she was no longer there. I had no idea where they'd gone, and I didn't want to be left alone in a strange house, so I began to slowly push my way through the crowd.

It took forever, but I finally got over to Jake's corner and greeted him. He'd obviously had a bit much too drink because he had a silly grin on his face and could barely stand.

"Wow, Bella. You looksh amashing," he slurred, and I muttered a thanks. Now I was wishing I'd stuck with Alice and Jasper. Trying to converse with drunks wasn't easy, and I honestly wasn't amused by it. Jake was slurring his words so badly that I had no idea what the hell he was saying.

"Oh, hey, Bella," Sam said, coming up and putting an arm around Jake to steady him. "Sorry about him. He's had a bit too much to drink."

With those words, Sam took Jake's beer and set it aside, rolling his eyes at me. I gave him a small smile and spent the next few minutes having a real conversation with a sober person.

"Sam?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, babe?"

"I'm gonna puke."

Sam grabbed Jake and practically carried him toward where I assumed the bathrooms were. That right there was another reason not to get drunk. Realizing that I was surrounded by strangers, I pulled my phone out and sent Alice a text asking where they were. She texted me back telling me they were outside by the bonfire. With a sigh and a death grip on my phone, I started pushing my way through the throngs of people.

"Bella, right?" some guy who smelled of beer asked me. I nodded, said hello, and kept on moving. I made my way into the kitchen and spotted a door leading outside that someone had propped open. I made a beeline for it only to have my way blocked by another guy.

"Hey, sweets," he sneered, leaning down in my face.

"So not interested," I told him, trying to move around him, but no matter how I tried to slip by him, he kept getting in my way.

"Now, don't be like that. Why don't you come with me? I'll show you a real good time," he slurred.

"She said she was interested," and I sighed with relief when I heard Edward's voice behind me.

"Back off, Cullen. I wasn't talking to you," the guy said.

"No, but you were talking to my friend who's already mentioned she isn't interested in you whatsoever," Edward commented, hands crossing over his chest and looking quite lethal.

The guy must have decided I wasn't worth the trouble and muttered something about assholes as he took off. My whole body relaxed once the guy was out of my way.

"Thank you," I told Edward sincerely. "I was about ready to whip out the pepper spray on my keychain."

"It would have served him right had you done so," Edward said before frowning as he looked around. "Where are Alice and Jasper?"

I pointed outside. "By the bonfire. I was on my way to them when that guy got in my face."

Edward walked with me out to the bonfire and chastised Alice and Jasper for leaving me on my own. I shook my head and told him it wasn't their fault; I'd spotted some people I knew and had gone to talk to them. It was the truth, sort of.

"Eddie! What are you doing out here?" Lauren whined from behind us, and I didn't bother to hide my eye roll from Alice or Jasper. It was a known fact that Edward hated being called Eddie, and Lauren knew it.

"Hanging out with my sister and our friends. Is that a problem?" he snapped, and I had to admit, was a bit taken back by the bite in his voice. I wasn't the only one. Judging by the look on her face, Lauren obviously hadn't expected it either. I quickly glanced at her and was shocked to see tears welling up in her eyes.

Edward let out a huff, pinching the bridge of his nose before apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Lauren. I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Whatever," she spat out, stalking off toward the house. Heaving a sigh, Edward tossed his beer into one of the garbage cans nearby and followed after her.

"Wow," Alice said softly. "She's really pushing his buttons lately."

Jasper nodded in agreement. "He's not spending nearly as much time with her as he used to. I think her welcome is finally wearing out."

I spent the rest of the evening outside by the bonfire, declining the drinks that were offered to me by both friends and by strangers. I wasn't dumb enough to accept a drink from someone I didn't know.

"Want a soda or anything?" Emmett asked after he'd come outside and offered me a beer.

"Yeah, that would be great. Thanks."

"No prob, kiddo," he told me before heading over to a cooler near a grill in the yard.

By the time the party ended, I was more than ready to leave. Actually, I'd been ready to leave way before the party ended. This definitely confirmed that I wasn't a party person. I much preferred being by myself or with my small group of friends as opposed to being surrounded by tons of people.

"Okay, folks. Let's go," Emmett hollered, rounding up our little group so we could walk back to campus.

Well, most of us walked. Alice was being carried on Jasper's back, seeing as she was too drunk to walk. She was babbling away and giggling to herself which was kind of funny to see. Rose was walking slowly, singing a song quietly while Emmett kept an arm wrapped around her waist. Edward and Lauren had been with us at one point, but a quick glance over my shoulder showed they weren't there.

"Alice is going to stay with me," Jasper told me as we made our way inside the dorm. I nodded that I'd heard him, secretly glad I wouldn't have to deal with a drunken Alice all night. After being walked to my door, I told them all goodnight before heading to bed.

I had a hard time falling asleep because my brain kept recalling Edward coming to my rescue. He'd been like my own personal knight in shining armor, or in this case, a Robin Hood outfit. I knew I was reading way too much into it, but I couldn't seem to stop. He was just a good guy looking out for a friend; it didn't mean anything. Eventually, I drifted off to sleep with visions of Edward in my head.

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**a/n: As always, I love to hear what you're thinking! I'll see you all next Saturday.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is the chapter that I'm sure you've all been waiting for, so I'll let you get to it. Big thanks to all of you for reading, favoring, or following. Huge thanks to Heather. She rocks.**

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After waking up the next morning, I was surprised to find how late it was. I wasn't one for sleeping in so long, but I'd obviously been exhausted. After a long shower, I got dressed, threw on an old hoodie, a ripped pair of jeans, and my purple Chuck Taylor's. Grabbing my wallet and keys, I made my way to the cafeteria for brunch. By the time I finished making my waffle and grabbed a glass of orange juice, Emmett and Rose had arrived.

"Morning, guys," I greeted them once they sat down at the table. They gave me smiles and asked if I'd had a good time the night before.

I shrugged before answering. "It wasn't bad. I'm not a big party person, and I'm not a drinker, but it's always fun being with you guys."

A little while later, Alice and Jasper arrived, and Alice looked like crap. Her usual perfectly-sculpted hair was sitting flat on her head, she wasn't wearing any makeup, and she was sporting a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I'd never seen her look so un-Alice like. She collapsed into the chair Jasper held out for her before asking her wanted she wanted.

"Coffee," she groaned. "Lots and lots of coffee."

With a kiss to the top of her head, Jasper went and got her coffee as well as some food from the line.

"How you feeling, sis?" Emmett boomed, grinning in delight when she groaned and flipped him off.

She muttered something I couldn't understand before sighing in relief when Jasper placed a large mug of coffee and some bacon and eggs in front of her. Jasper shot me a wink as he rubbed Alice's back while she took large gulps of coffee. She was obviously suffering from a hangover, but I couldn't find too much sympathy for her. She did bring it on herself.

"Where's Ed?" Emmett asked Jasper who shook his head.

"I'm guessing he's with Lauren. He didn't come back last night."

And just like that, my appetite was gone. Subconsciously, I knew that he and Lauren were intimate; hell I'd seen her groping him, but hearing he hadn't come back to his room and he'd been with Lauren was sort of a wakeup call. Shoving my plate of food away from me, I leaned back in my chair and stared out the window.

"What are everyone's plans today?" Emmett asked.

"To curl up and die," Alice responded, causing Jasper to chuckle. Emmett grinned and looked at me.

"I'm hitting up the public library in a bit. After that, I'll probably just stay in and read."

Emmett made a face and called me boring, but I knew it was in good fun. I loved reading, and I hadn't gotten much time to do it lately, what with school work and tests. Saying goodbye to them, I threw out my trash and made my way to the parking lot. I hopped in my car and drove the few miles it was to the library.

I lost myself for hours, browsing the shelves and curling up in a chair in front of the fireplace they had. Before I knew it, it was a quarter to four, and I'd been at the library for almost three hours. Gathering my books, I checked them out and got back in my car.

"You!" a venomous voice screamed as I was gathering my bag from the backseat of my car. I turned around and saw Lauren coming toward me, fire in her eyes. Instinctively, I started to back away, and then I stopped. I had nothing to be afraid of. She couldn't really hurt me, and if she tried, well, I'd have to kick her ass.

"Can I help you?" I asked, slinging the strap of my bag across my shoulder and attempting to play it cool.

"Oh, don't stand there and act all innocent. This is all your fucking fault!" she screamed, and I saw a few people in the parking lot stop and look our way.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lauren," I told her although I had a pretty good idea it had to do with Edward.

Not wanting to stand there and have Lauren draw any more attention our way, I began walking toward the dorm. Lauren, however, wasn't to be deterred. She stepped right in front of me and began screaming in my face. I was seconds away from punching her, and I wasn't normally prone to violence. Her screams had definitely attracted attention now, and people near us were stopping and staring.

"God, would you shut up? You're making a total ass of yourself," I told her, pushing past her so I could continue on my way.

She reached out and grabbed my arm, digging her fake nails into my arm, and it freaking hurt. Whirling around, I aimed the small can of pepper spray on my keychain at her face. I was more than willing to use it.

"Let go, now!"

Immediately, her hand let go of my arm, but I didn't lower the canister.

"I don't know what the hell your problem is, but leave me out of it," I hissed at her.

"You don't know what my problem is? Are you stupid? Edward broke up with me because of you!"

"Oh, hell no. You aren't blaming that crap on me," I told her. "He broke up with you because of you, not because of me. Deal with it."

With those final words, I whirled back around and went inside, doing my best to ignore the stares aimed at me. I walked as fast as I could without running, tripping a few times on my way up the stairs, and I noticed that my hands trembled as I attempted to unlock the door to my room. I hated confrontation of any kind, but it had gotten worse after Mike had attacked me.

I finally managed to get the door opened, and I tossed my bag on the desk chair before collapsing on my bed. My whole body was trembling by that time, and I curled myself up into a ball. I took a few deep breaths to steady myself before getting up and grabbing a book out of my bag. Reading always settled me down, so I read for a little while until my phone buzzed with a text from Alice. She wanted to know if I wanted to meet for dinner at The Ed Grill in the student center. I sent her a text back, agreeing to meet her, and got ready.

I'd calmed down considerably so by the time I got there, I was practically back to being my normal self. Getting in line, I ordered a basket of chicken strips and some fries, realizing that I was starving.

"You'll never guess what happened," Alice said once I'd taken a seat.

"Edward broke up with Lauren?" I guessed, and her mouth fell open.

"How did you know that?"

"Because that crazy bitch came at me in the parking lot earlier," I said in disgust. "She made a real ass of herself. Screaming and yelling at me about how it was my fault they broke up. I told her she couldn't lay the blame at my feet."

I took a bite of my food, watching as their jaws dropped.

"Did you smack her?" Rose wanted to know, and I shook my head.

"No, but I did pull my pepper spray on her," I said, grinning when they howled.

"No fucking way!" Rose gasped. "Oh, I wish I could've seen that. Please, please tell me you sprayed her with it."

I shook my head. "No, but it was awfully tempting."

"I don't think I could have resisted," Rose said with a shake of her head, and I let out a laugh. Knowing Rose, she would have sprayed Lauren and then beat her ass.

"I didn't want to deal with her screeching any more than I had to. She was so freaking loud, and thanks to her, a bunch of people were staring at us. I was a bit embarrassed," I admitted.

"Don't be," Alice said with a shake of her head. "If anyone should be embarrassed, it's her. She made a complete ass out of herself, and she wonders why Edward broke up with her."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure the gossip mill is running wild with the news that they broke up and that it's my fault."

Rose shook her head. "Screw them if that's what they think. Besides, anyone who knows Lauren will know she's the real reason he broke up with her."

Changing subjects, we spent the remainder of dinner talking about the upcoming holiday. Thanksgiving was coming up quick, and Alice and Rose were practically vibrating with excitement about shopping on Black Friday. I cringed at the thought. Mom and I had gone once, then never again. It wasn't worth it. Stay home and shop online. That's what I always did, assuming I managed to stay up that late. Most of the time, I was collapsed in my bed in a turkey coma before midnight.

"Hey, ladies," a southern voice interrupted as Jasper approached our table. He gave Alice a "not quite appropriate in public" kiss and asked what we were up to.

"Not much," I said right as Rose told him all about my encounter with Loony Lauren.

"Yeah, that girl sure was spittin' fire when she left our room. Almost ran me over, and if looks could've killed, I'd be a dead man," he told us.

"How's Edward holding up?" I asked.

Jasper shrugged as he stole a fry from my plate. "He'll be okay. He just needs some time to himself for a bit. They were together for a year, and breaking up with someone isn't easy."

Yeah, unless that person was trying to beat the shit out of you, I thought to myself. Then it was plenty easy.

We stayed and talked until the grill closed before leaving the student center and making our way back to the dorm. We were just walking in at the same time that Edward was walking out. He gave us a small smile before heading toward his car, and Alice shot him a worried look. Telling us she'd be right back, she ran after him, stopping him with a hand on his arm. Whatever she said to him had a genuine smile crossing his face, and he reached down to give her a hug. She hugged him back before running back to us.

"Everything okay?" Jasper asked, and Alice nodded.

* * *

A week went by, and the only time I'd seen Edward was in class. Ever since he'd broken things off with Lauren, he'd been different. Not a bad different, just a _different _different. He was more quiet than usual, and real smiles barely crossed his lips. At least he looked more rested than he had, but he didn't look peaceful. I began to wonder if it was my fault they broke up. I'd gotten some rather nasty glares and words tossed my way by Lauren's friends as well as complete strangers. It was disconcerting, to say the least. Had I wished they would break up? Yeah, of course. But, I didn't think I'd done anything to cause it to happen. I hadn't flirted with him or made advances of any kind. I'd just been his friend.

So, I was a bit surprised when there was a knock on my door at a little after six in the evening, and I opened it to find Edward standing there. His hands were shoved into his pockets, his shirt was wrinkled, and his hair was a glorious mess.

"Hey," I said, surprised to see him.

"Hey," he responded with a small smile. "Mind if I come in?"

"Not at all," I told him, holding the door open and moving out of the way. I noticed as he walked by that he was wearing mismatched socks on his feet and no shoes.

He plopped down on Alice's bed and stretched out, his shirt riding up a bit and giving me a glimpse of some nicely sculpted abs.

"I'm sorry I've been a crappy friend lately," he said, and I shook my head.

"You haven't. You've been dealing with a lot, and you needed your space. It's completely understandable."

He grabbed one of Alice's pillows and shoved it under his head as he stared at the ceiling.

"Yeah, I guess, but I still feel like I …. Ugh. I don't know," he said with a sigh, picking at the hem of his shirt with his hand.

"You're probably feeling a lot. Sad because you broke up with someone you'd been with for a long time, a bit happy because you're free and single again, possibly angry or hurt. I think, for some people, breaking up with someone can be really hard."

He rolled over on his side, tucking a hand under the pillow, and looked at me.

"Have you ever broken up with someone?"

I nodded.

"Did it upset you?"

I let out a snort. "Hardly. It was the best thing I'd done since I'd gotten myself into that relationship."

"So you didn't love him?" Edward probed.

"No, and even if I had, it wouldn't have been enough to put up with him and his shit," I scowled as I thought about Mike.

"I guess some relationships aren't meant to be. I mean, I wasn't in love with Lauren, but I thought maybe over time I would be," he said quietly. "Stupid, huh?"

I shrugged. "Not really. I think we all want love, but we can't force it. You either love someone, or you don't."

And looking at him across the room, I could easily see myself falling in love with Edward.

"Me, too," he said with a sigh, rolling onto his back once again.

A peaceful quiet fell across the room, and I picked up the book that was lying on the floor next to my bed and began to read. Edward lay where he was, and for a while, I thought he might have fallen asleep, that is, until a loud rumble erupted from his stomach. I couldn't contain the giggle that slipped out, and he rolled over and glared at me.

"What? I'm hungry. I haven't really eaten in days."

Standing up, I walked over to my desk and grabbed my phone and the pizza menu which I tossed at him. He caught it and gave me a smile.

"Pizza does sound good."

Yeah, it did. A large pepperoni pizza with jalapenos, a side of potato chips, and a Coke was right up my alley. He looked over the menu and asked what I was getting.

"Pepperoni and jalapenos," I told him, waiting for the usual reaction of disgust I got to that. However, I was more than surprised when he agreed that it sounded delicious.

"Yeah?" I asked, unable to hide my surprise.

"Yeah," he replied with a grin.

"Chips and Coke okay with it?" I asked him, and he nodded. While I placed the order, Edward went over to my bookshelf and began riffling through my DVDs. Finding a few that must have looked good to him, he sat back down on Alice's bed.

"What are we watching?" I asked after I hung up.

Edward held up three movies, and I debated as I looked at each of them. _Spaceballs_ which always got me laughing, _Misery_ because who didn't love a good Stephen King movie, or _Wall-E_ which was a great feel good movie. I looked over each one carefully then at Edward. The guy could definitely use a good laugh, so I chose _Spaceballs_.

"May the Schwartz be with you." he grinned as he put the DVD into the player.

Now, my TV setup wasn't as grand as Edward and Jasper's, but it was doable. The TV was on a stand between Alice's bed and mine. While the movie was loading, my phone rang, and I ran downstairs to greet the pizza guy. I took the pizza, chips, and soda back up to the room and ran into Emmett in the hallway. His eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at my full hands.

"Geez, Little Swan. That's a lot of food."

"Not all for me," I told him with a grin. "Edward and I are having pizza and movie night, but you can have a slice of this if you want."

Balancing the box carefully, he opened it up and snagged a piece, eyeing it wearily.

"It's not bad," he mumbled through a mouthful of awesomeness, and I grinned.

We parted ways, and I continued back to my room where the door was opened before I could knock. Edward took the pizza and the two-liter of Coke from me, and I set the bag of chips down on my desk. Having apparently rifled through Alice's things, Edward had found some paper plates, napkins, and cups.

Before long, we were laughing as we ate our pizza and chips while the movie played. I glanced over at Alice's bed where Edward was eating, and it was great to see him relaxing. Of course, that probably wouldn't last long after Alice found out that he ate in her bed.

"Thanks for this, Bella," Edward said, catching me looking at him. "I appreciate it."

I shrugged off his thanks. "It's no biggie. Besides, I was in the mood for pizza and didn't want to feel like a pig eating alone, so this works out well for me."

By the time midnight rolled around, we'd watched all three movies, eaten an entire pizza, and were wired from all the soda we'd had. We were loud and hyper as we discussed which of Mel Brooks' movies were the best. I was partial to _Young Frankenstein_ while Edward loved _Men in Tights_. It was a good one, but not the best as far as I was concerned.

"Have the two of you been drinking?" Alice asked from the doorway, scaring the crap out of us. We both jumped at her voice and then cracked up when we looked at each other.

"Just Coke," I told her, and she looked as if she didn't believe me. "I swear."

She nodded and scanned the room as she closed the door behind her. I knew the minute she spotted the plate and napkins on her bed because her face turned red, and her fists went on her tiny waist.

"Edward Anthony Cullen!" she yelled, and I giggled as she middle-named him. "Did you—you did! You ate pizza in my bed! And chips! Oh my God, Edward! I swear if I find one crumb in my bed, you're going to be doing my laundry for a week."

I was cracking up as she yelled at him, and then she turned her gaze on me. Immediately, I shut up and gave her my most innocent smile. She wasn't fooled.

"And you," she began. "I know this was probably all your idea, so you'll be helping him if I find any crumbs anywhere in here."

I rolled my eyes at her as I swore I'd clean the place up spick and span. Then it was her turn for the eye roll.

"Hmph. Well, I'll be back in a bit, and I'd better not find any crumbs!" she hollered as Jasper pulled her out the door and shut it.

Edward and I looked at each other grinning. Grabbing the trash can, I began to throw away our dirty plates and napkins as Edward began to sweep off Alice's bed with his hands.

"Here," I said, handing him a lint roller. "This'll work better."

He grinned as he took it. "Thanks, Bella. Not just for this," he said, holding up the lint roller, "but for the whole evening. It was needed."

"No problem. That's what friends are for," I told him, and then I was thrown off guard when he dropped the lint roller on Alice's bed and pulled me into a hug.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relish in it for a few minutes before we both pulled away. I knew for a fact I was blushing, so I kept my gaze adverted from his and began to gather up what was left of the trash. We cleaned up in silence for a few minutes before Edward offered to empty the trash can. I handed it to him and told him thanks. The second he was out the door, I collapsed on my bed and took a deep breath. It had just been a friendly hug that didn't mean anything.

I heard his footsteps coming back down the hall, so I quickly stood up and smoothed my hair back in place. I needed to act cool, like his hug hadn't just made my insides quiver.

"Thank you again," he said as he came in the door. "I really needed a good laugh after the week I've had."

"I figured you might," I said with a smile, sitting back down on my bed.

"Oh, yeah. It really sucks because I have two classes with Lauren, and I'm fairly certain every single person in each one of them are aware we broke up. How could they not be, what, with the dirty looks she keeps throwing my way? It doesn't help that she and Bree keep talking about me just loud enough for me to catch my name but not what they're saying."

I scowled at his words. "She's so freaking immature. I get that she's upset and everything, but grow up. She doesn't need to be talking crap about you or getting in my face in the parking lot."

"What?" he asked, looking at me with confusion on his face.

_Oh, shit._ He didn't know.

"Oh, um … last week after I got back from the library, she started yelling at me in the parking lot. It must have been right after you broke up because she was wild-eyed and crazy. She made a real scene and basically accused me of breaking the two of you up."

He sat down hard on Alice's bed and ran a hand through his hair. "That's such bullshit. You didn't break us up. I broke up with her because she'd changed and become this incredibly difficult and jealous person. She'd become someone I didn't want to be around anymore. I explained all of that to her, not that it went over well. Did she accuse me of cheating on her with you? She probably did, didn't she?"

"I'd never allow myself to become the other woman," I said with a scoff. "Besides, I'm not the kind of girl who poaches."

"However, she was right about one thing," he said quietly, piquing my interest.

"What's that?"

"She accused me of liking you more than I should," he said so quietly I almost didn't hear him. As a matter of fact, I was sure I hadn't heard him right because if I had, then he'd just admitted that he liked me … and for more than a friend.

"Oh."

I really didn't know what to say to him. I was totally falling for him, but he needed time to just be himself and be single. I definitely didn't want to be a rebound, and after my relationship with Mike, the idea of being in another relationship was a little scary.

Edward fidgeted on Alice's bed, and his hands went to his hair again. "Uh … well …" he trailed off, and I saw that his ears had turned a bit red.

"That wasn't a bad _oh_," I explained, my face bright red. "It was more of a surprised, I had no idea kind of _oh_."

"So, not a bad _oh_?" he asked, and I shook my head. He sighed with relief before letting out a huge yawn.

"Okay, then," he said, standing up. "I'm going to crash, but let's meet for breakfast?"

I nodded and gave him a smile as he walked out. Once he was gone, I tossed myself on my bed, buried my face in my pillow, and let loose with a very girly squee. While he hadn't admitted outright that he was crushing on me the way I was on him, he'd still admitted he liked me more than he should have. I guess that could have been taken as a bad thing, but I was going to think of it as something good.

Twenty minutes after Edward left, I was under the covers in my pjs and reading a book. Alice hadn't come back yet, but I knew I'd most likely be grilled by her when she arrived. I was right. A few minutes after she got back to the room and inspected her bed, she flopped down on it and demanded to know what was going on between Edward and me.

"Nothing," I told her honestly. "He came around earlier to apologize for being a crappy friend which I told him that he wasn't. He looked so sad, Alice. I thought some pizza and movies would help cheer him up, and I was right. There's nothing going on."

"Well there should be. The two of you would be so perfect together. I've known that since the day I met you."

"He needs time, Alice. Besides, I'm not sure he thinks of me as girlfriend material," I told her although I was beginning to think he might.

"Pssh. Of course, he does. I can tell these things, and he's crazy about you."

"Well, he did say that Lauren accused him of liking me more than he should, and he told me she was right."

Alice let out a squeal and jumped up from her bed and twirled around in a circle like a mad woman. I stared at her as if she'd lost her freaking mind, and I was pretty certain she had when she reached down and grabbed me in a tight hug.

"I knew it! I just knew it!" she shouted with a grin after she let me go.

"You knew what?"

"I knew he liked you. I've never seen him take to another girl so quickly or get so defensive when Lauren started bad mouthing someone. This is gonna be great! We can go on double or triple dates, and we can—"

"Whoa," I interrupted. "Let's not get ahead of things, Alice. We don't even know for sure that Edward would want to date me. Besides, he just got out of a yearlong relationship. He's probably going to want to be single for a while."

"Fine, but I'm telling you right now, the two of you will be dating by Christmas. I know it."

I rolled my eyes at her predictions. Sure, I hoped it would come true, but I wasn't holding my breath.

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**a/n: Let me hear it, folks!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I know you were all eagerly awaiting Lauren's departure. She'll make an appearance here and there of course, but now we can mainly focus on B & E. Huge thanks to Heather for dealing with me and my comma hatred.**

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By eight the following morning, I was awake and ready to meet Edward for breakfast. We hadn't specified a time, so I wasn't sure when he was going to show up. At a quarter after, my phone buzzed, and I was surprised to see a text from Edward asking if I was up and wanting to go eat. I replied and then saved his information in my phone. I wasn't even aware he had my number.

We met downstairs in the common area, and he was a beautiful sight to see first thing in the morning. He looked much more rested than he had in weeks, and I was greeted by his beautiful smile.

"Hope you don't mind that I got your number from Alice."

I shook my head. "Not at all. Although, I was a bit surprised to see a text from you."

We began to make our way toward the cafeteria when Edward stopped suddenly.

"Want to go out for breakfast?" he asked, and I couldn't have said no if I had wanted to.

"Sure. Where to?"

"Come with me," he said with a sexy smile, and I had a feeling I'd follow him to the end of the earth if he asked me.

We got into his Volvo and pulled out of the parking lot, arriving at our destination less than ten minutes later. Edward pulled the Volvo into a parking spot, and I grinned when I saw where we were. IHOP. I freaking loved IHOP. I practically skipped my way to the door, thanking Edward when he held it open.

Twenty some minutes later, I was shoveling waffles with syrup, peanut butter, and powdered sugar into my face.

"That looks so gross," Edward said before taking a bite of his French toast.

"It's not," I mumbled through a mouthful. "It's amazing. Try some."

I held out my fork and almost moaned in delight when his lips wrapped around it. He chewed for a moment, and I watched his face.

"Not bad," he said after he'd swallowed.

"Not bad? Please, these are freaking awesome."

We were talking and laughing over our meal when I saw Lauren and Bree walk in. I didn't bother to hide my sigh before I informed Edward. He let out a groan, warning me to brace myself. I really didn't want to deal with Lauren first thing in the morning, and I was afraid things were going to get ugly.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" she asked in a snide voice as she stopped in front of our table. Her eyes were shooting daggers at me as were her friend's, but I did my best not to react to her.

"A couple of friends eating breakfast. Is that a problem?" Edward asked, arching a brow in her direction.

Lauren scowled as she put her hands on her hips. "Friends. Right," she scoffed.

I let out a sigh. "Yes, friends. Believe it or not, friends eat food together all the time," I told her. "Now, if you'll excuse us, we'd like to finish our meal in peace."

I could tell she wanted to say more, but thankfully, our waitress stopped by to see how we were doing. I asked for more orange juice while Edward said he was fine, and then our waitress turned to Lauren and Bree.

"Are you joining them?"

They both shook their heads and stalked off toward their own table, shooting us dirty looks over their shoulders.

"For a second there, I thought we were going to have a problem," our waitress, an older woman with shocking red hair, said.

"Me, too," I agreed.

Needless to say, Edward left her a very large tip once breakfast was over. I'd tried to pay for my own meal, but he'd told me no.

"You got the pizza last night, so please let me get this."

So, I'd relented. It almost felt like we'd been on a date, but I knew better than that. It was like we'd told Lauren. We were just friends having breakfast together.

After breakfast, Edward decided to show me around Seattle. It wasn't like I'd never been to Seattle prior to attending school there, but my parents and I hadn't spent a lot of time in the city. Edward took me to a couple of museums and a park with a carousel. I hadn't been on one of those since I was three or four, and Edward encouraged me to take a ride.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "I'd feel stupid."

He rolled his eyes at me as he paid the man for a ticket, and then he gently shoved me forward.

"Go!" he urged, and I gave in.

I found a beautiful white unicorn and hopped on its back. I felt a bit foolish, but when the carousel began, I forgot all about my embarrassment. It was wonderful and made me feel so carefree and young. It was fantastic. I was almost sad when the ride was over.

"Have fun?" Edward asked as I made my way over to him.

"I totally did. Thanks," I told him, reaching out and giving his arm a squeeze. He flashed me a grin, and once again, my insides turned to mush.

Later in the afternoon after a lunch from a food truck, I got a text from Alice asking where I was. I told her I was out with Edward, and that we'd be back soon. She told me to stay and enjoy myself and to tell Edward she said hello.

"That was Alice," I told him. "She says hello."

He rolled his eyes. "She couldn't have told me that herself?"

I shrugged. "You know her better than I do."

By six, it began to rain, so we agreed to call it a day, and it had been a wonderful one. I couldn't remember having a better time with anyone. I'd certainly never had that good of a time with Mike; that was for damn sure.

"Thanks for today," I told him as we pulled into the dorm parking lot.

"No problem. It was fun, wasn't it?"

"Definitely," I agreed, and we gave each other smiles.

We walked into the dorm together, and I noticed a few people looking at us and whispering. Edward shot them dirty looks and shook his head in disgust.

"They hang around in the same circle as Lauren," he muttered which certainly explained a lot. I had a bad feeling that some rather interesting rumors would be circulating come tomorrow, assuming, of course, that they already weren't. It was pretty obvious that Lauren and Bree had come back to campus and told a few people they'd seen Edward and I together. I almost felt guilty about hanging out with him, but I quickly shoved those feelings down. We'd done nothing wrong, and even if we had been on a date, it wouldn't have mattered. Edward was single and so was I.

Ignoring them, I followed Edward up the stairs, and we made our way toward my room. It was still early, and I wasn't ready for the night to end, so I decided to invite him in. I unlocked my door and found Alice and Jasper tangled up in her bed. Immediately, I closed my eyes and shut the door. I loved them both, but there were some things you just weren't meant to see.

"I think I've been blinded," Edward said quietly, and I opened my eyes to look at him. There was a look of horror on his face, and I found myself giggling especially when I heard Alice tell me to go away and come back later.

"You and me both," I told him. "Well, I … uh … well, I don't know what I'm going to do now."

"You can always hang out in my room. We can watch a movie or something," he suggested, and I eagerly agreed.

Once in his room, I took a seat on his bed as he dug through the movies in the entertainment center he and Jasper had. He pulled out a horror movie I'd seen before, and I readily agreed. We sat in silence for a few minutes as the movie began, and I was hyper aware of him being a few feet from me on the same bed. I had to admit, it made me slightly nervous, and I had butterflies in my stomach.

Halfway through the movie, my phone rang, causing me to jump, and I answered when I saw it was my mom. I mouthed to Edward that I was going to take the call and stepped outside his room.

"Hey, Mom!" I said, glad to hear from her.

"Hey, baby. I'm sorry to call you so late," she said, and there was a tremble in her voice. Something had happened. I just knew it. "There's been an accident."

My stomach clenched at words. "What happened?" I asked. My first thought being that Dad had been shot.

"Let me just say that your dad's going to be fine, but he was hit by a car while doing a routine traffic stop."

"Oh, Jesus! Are you sure he's okay?"

"I'm sure," she swore. "He has got a broken leg and has a few scrapes and bruises."

"Did they catch the person who hit him?'

"They did."

"I'm coming home," I told her. I had to see for myself that he was okay.

"Bella—"

"No, Mom," I interrupted. "I need to see him."

"Fine, but you're not driving tonight. It's late, and it's a long trip. You can leave in the morning."

I agreed, and after telling her I loved her, I hung up. I sat on the floor outside Edward's door and did my best to hold back my tears, but it was impossible. Pulling my knees up to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them and buried my face. I never even heard the door open, so I was startled when a strong arm settled upon my shoulders. Seconds later, I was being held against his warm chest.

"What happened?" Edward asked in a soft, soothing voice.

"My dad was—" I took a deep breath to compose myself before continuing. "My dad was hit by a car."

Edward swore under his breath, and his arm tightened around me. "Is he going to be okay?"

I nodded against his chest. "Mom said that his leg is broken, and he has some scrapes and bruises, but he's fine. At first, I thought she was calling to tell me he'd been shot or something. Instead, he was hit by a car while he was writing a driver a speeding ticket."

"I'm sorry," he said, placing a kiss to the top of my head.

"I'm going home in the morning to see him. I probably won't be back until Monday afternoon or possibly Tuesday," I told him.

We stayed like that for a while until we heard footsteps coming down the hall. I pulled away from him, wiping my eyes, and stood up with Edward's help.

"Sorry about earli—" Alice began to say, but stopped when she saw my face. "What's wrong?"

I told her that my dad had been in an accident, and I'd be heading home the next day. She gave me a huge hug, and it took everything in me not to start crying again. Deciding that I needed a cup of hot chocolate and some quiet, Alice gently began to maneuver me toward the stairwell. I thanked Edward before saying goodbye to him as well as Jasper.

Back in my room, I changed into my flannel pants and thermal shirt before crawling under the covers. After drinking some hot chocolate, provided by Alice, I burrowed in and tried to fall asleep. Unfortunately, sleep didn't come easily. I spent most of the night tossing and turning before finally getting up at around five. I quietly got dressed, packed a bag, left Alice a note, and sent a quick text to Edward before making my way out to the parking lot. I'd only been in the car for a few minutes and was still in the parking lot when my phone buzzed.

_Be safe, _the text read, and I smiled as I read it.

_Thanks. I will, _I replied back to Edward before setting my phone aside and putting the car into reverse.

The three hour drive home seemed to take forever and not even listening to my favorite band, Stereophonics, helped. Eventually, I passed the Welcome to Forks sign, and my body sagged with relief. I was home, and I'd be seeing Dad in a matter of minutes.

Turned out, it was more like twenty minutes by the time I pulled into the hospital, found a parking spot, and got through reception. I practically ran down the corridor that led to Dad's room and heaved a sigh of relief when I pushed the door open.

"Dad!" I cried out when I saw him in the hospital bed. I rushed over to him and did my best not to fling myself at him.

"Bells! What are you doing here?" he asked gruffly, but not unkindly.

"Seeing you, of course."

He sighed before holding out his arms, and I flung myself into them. The tears flowed freely as I was wrapped up in my dad's embrace, and I swore I heard him sniffle a bit as well. Pulling away, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand before taking a good look at him.

He looked tired, his left arm was bruised, and his left leg was sporting a green cast. God, it could have been so much worse. He could have been killed, and that thought terrified me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked him, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Sore, but the doc is going to let me out in an hour or two," he told me. "Now, I've got to learn how to walk on those damn crutches."

Mom let out a snort as she came into the room and hugged me. "And what fun that'll be. Good thing our bedroom is downstairs; otherwise, you'd be sleeping on the couch for the next six to eight weeks."

"The hell I would," Dad growled, and I giggled at them. Sometimes my parents were so weird.

* * *

"I don't like the thought of you missing classes," Dad said with a frown over dinner later that night.

"It's one day, and I haven't missed any classes yet. It'll be fine, and I can get notes from someone," I told him.

He continued to frown, but he nodded in agreement.

After dinner, the three of us watched a movie together, and it was great to spend time with my parents. Sure, I'd seen them not too long ago, and I'd be back in two weeks for Thanksgiving, but it was still nice seeing them. More than anything though, I was relieved that Dad was going to be okay.

Two days later, I was traveling back to school with a Tupperware container full of some weird cookies my mom had made. Mom wasn't known for her cooking or baking skills, and she was constantly experimenting, much to our disgust, but we loved her for trying. I, however, wasn't about to eat the cookies that were in the seat beside me. She'd said something about seaweed and pumpkin before shoving the container at me, kissing me, and telling me to drive safe.

I arrived back at the dorm a little after five in the evening, and I grabbed my bag and the cookies before heading inside.

"Hey, Bella!" Emmett hollered as soon as I'd entered the dorm, and I waved as I made my way over to him. He and some guy were playing a game of ping pong, and it looked pretty intense.

"How's your dad?" he asked, swinging the paddle wildly and almost hitting me.

"He's doing well. A bit cranky, but he's fine," I told him, ducking when the little plastic ball came flying my way. The game was beginning to get dangerous, and I feared I'd get hit if I stuck around. I said goodbye to Emmett and headed upstairs to my room, knocking softly in case Alice and Jasper were in there together.

Alice flung the door open and pulled me into a tight hug before passing me along to Jasper. I had been right about them being in the room together, but at least this time, they were clothed. Jasper gave me a gentle hug and a brotherly kiss to the top of my head before asking how I was.

"I'm good. Much better now that I've seen my dad."

"How is he?" Alice asked.

"Cranky," I said with a snort. "He's complaining because he has to use crutches, because he has to be on desk duty, because, because, because."

I loved my dad, but he was the world's biggest baby. He was a horrible patient, and I had a feeling Mom would end up beating him senseless at some point because of all his whining.

"What's that?" Jasper asked, spying the container of cookies that I'd sent on my desk.

"Incredibly disgusting cookies my mom baked. Help yourself at your own risk," I told him as I began to unpack my bag and put stuff away.

From the corner of my eye, I watched as he opened the container and sniffed the cookie that he'd taken out. He must have decided it smelled okay because he took a huge bite, and then his eyes bugged out of his head. I was freaking dying. I started laughing so hard at the look on his face that I could barely stand up. Alice was right there with me, giggling like mad as Jasper grabbed the trashcan and spit the remainder of the cookie out. He dashed out the door and into our bathroom and immediately began rinsing his mouth out with Alice's mouthwash. Tears were streaming down our faces by the time he came back into the room.

"God, Bella! Those were just nasty! Why didn't you warn me?"

"I did," I said, wiping my cheeks dry with my hands. "I warned you they were gross."

"No, they're beyond gross. I'm sorry, but your mom shouldn't be allowed to bake."

I let out a laugh as I agreed. I informed them that my mom was an experimental cook who made up her own recipes on a whim. He shot me a look of horror and asked how my dad and I had survived.

"Take out, plus I'm a pretty decent cook. Like always, I'll be cooking Thanksgiving. If we left it up to my mom, we'd probably all die of food poisoning."

"I've gotta go brush my teeth, but I'll meet you ladies for dinner in a bit?" Jasper asked, and we both nodded.

Once Jasper was gone, Alice shut the door and turned to face me with a serious look. Something was definitely up.

"Last night Lauren showed up drunk at Edward and Jasper's room. She began to scream and holler at him, calling him all kinds of names and even accused him of cheating, and then she accused you of being a whore. Edward ended up having to call campus security to come take her away."

My mouth dropped open in shock, but I really shouldn't have been that surprised. Lauren seemed a bit unstable to begin with, but add in alcohol, and you've got a mess on your hands.

"She kept yelling that she loved him as they dragged her away. It was horribly embarrassing," she continued.

"Do you think she really loves Edward?" I asked.

"No. I think she loves the idea of loving Edward, and she loved the money that he spent on her, but I don't believe she truly loves him. I know he didn't love her, and he's better off without her. Besides, he has you now."

"We're just friends," I told her for what felt like the millionth time.

"We'll see," she said before prancing over to the mirror to fix her hair before we headed to dinner.

We met Jasper and Edward in the hallway ten minutes later, and Edward gave me a quick hug and asked how my dad was doing. I told him Dad was doing fine and driving Mom insane.

"Whatever you do, Ed, don't eat any cookies Bella's mom makes," Jasper warned him, shuddering at the thought.

I let out a laugh as I explained to Edward about my mom's horrible cooking and baking skills.

"They were horrible," Jasper told him.

"What did you expect? They were seaweed and pumpkin flavored," I told him, and I swore Jasper turned a bit green.

"So I hear you had an interesting night," I commented to Edward as we followed behind Alice and Jasper.

Edward looked a bit pained, and I was instantly sorry I'd brought it up.

"Yeah, it was a bit embarrassing for everyone involved. At least, I hope she was embarrassed by her behavior. I haven't seen her since because she wasn't in class today. I'm just hoping that campus security taking her away was a wakeup call, and she'll realize she needs to let go."

"Mike wasn't very good at letting go either."

"Your ex?"

I nodded. I hadn't told any of them about Mike except that he was my ex. I think part of me was afraid they'd think I was weak for staying with him when he belittled me.

"Yeah, he was pretty controlling."

Edward put a hand on my arm and pulled me to a stop. I looked up at him, and he had a very serious look on his face.

"Did he hurt you?"

I took a deep breath before responding. This wasn't exactly how or where I'd planned on telling him about Mike. Granted, I hadn't even been sure I was going to tell him or the others.

"Eventually," I told him, moving toward the bench that was near the sidewalk. If I was going to tell him the story, I at least wanted to be semi-comfortable. I saw Alice and Jasper stop and look back, but I waved them on.

"He was the popular guy at our high school who never paid any attention to me until I started working at his parents' store. It took some time, but he finally wore me down, and I let him take me out. Before I even realized it, we were a serious couple with some serious issues. He began to try and control every aspect of my life. He had to know where I was at all times, who I was with, and what I was doing. He criticized everything about me from my clothes to my hair to my breast size," I told him, pausing to take a deep breath.

"I know it was stupid to stay with him, but I did. At first, I didn't even realize he was doing it, and then I'd find myself thinking maybe he was right. It was demoralizing, and I'm ashamed that I let him control me like that. Then one night about six months after we'd been dating, he asked me to marry him. I told him no."

"I guess he didn't like that," Edward said quietly, reaching out to clasp my hand in his. I clung to his hand tightly, hating that talking about Mike still got me worked up.

"Yeah, you could say that. I never thought in a million years he'd hit me, but he did. He slapped me hard, and when I started fighting back, it just got worse. By the time I managed to get away, I had a broken nose, a busted lip that required stitches, and more bruises than I could count."

"Jesus," Edward whispered, running his free hand through his hair. "Please tell me he's locked up."

"He was, but he got off light. His father is politically connected, and Mike only had to serve one hundred and eighty days, and he got probation for two years."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Edward gaped, and I shook my head no.

"He was released this past September, but I haven't heard from him or seen him. There's a restraining order in place, but Dad is always keeping an eye out. We were told that Mike was sent to live with family in California when he got out."

"Why didn't you tell us?" he asked me with a hurt look.

"I was afraid you all would think I was weak or pathetic for staying with him for as long as I did. Plus, it's not something you just blurt out, and the timing never seemed right."

"You're not weak," he told me, pulling me in for a hug. I held onto him, and it took a lot for me not to cry. He was so sweet and wonderful.

"Thanks," I said, pulling away and sniffing a bit. Looked like those pesky tears were going to show up after all. I blinked a few times until I felt like I could look at him and not burst into tears.

"I won't say anything to the others. You can tell them when it feels right, okay?"

I nodded, and then my stomach let out a loud rumble. I turned ten shades of red as Edward let out a laugh.

"Let's go feed the beast in your belly," he said, standing up and tugging me with him. We made our way toward the student center, and I was hyper aware that my hand was still in his. He let go of me to open the door, and I felt a sense of loss and disappointment.

"Everything okay?" Alice asked once we'd gone through the line, gotten our food, and sat down at the table.

"Yeah," we replied, and I could see she was dying to ask questions, but Edward shook his head at her.

Later that night as we lie in our beds, Alice finally asked what Edward and I had been talking about.

"I know it's none of my business, but you both looked so serious. You promise everything is okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I promise I'll tell you what we talked about, but not right now. Talking about it with Edward has really worn me out."

"Well, tell me when you're ready. I'm here for you. We all are," she told me before saying goodnight.

* * *

**a/n: So now Edward knows about Mike, and things are slowly moving along.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews! They warm my little heart. I'm down with a freaking cold, yet again, and I gotta say I'm sick of this winter. Just when things were looking like spring, it snowed again. Huge thanks to Heather for her amazing beta skills. **

**Just a reminder... slow burn. Bear with me. **

* * *

Sleep didn't come easily for me that night, and when it did, my dreams were rough. In them, Mike was coming after me again, but this time, there was no stopping him. Alice shook me awake after my whimpers had woken her.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, rubbing a hand over my shoulder as I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

"I think so. It was just a really bad dream," I told her, rolling over on my back and staring at the ceiling. "It was about my ex, Mike."

And so, I began to tell her about him and everything that had happened with him. By the time I was done, I was so mentally exhausted that I let the tears fall. Alice leaned over and gathered me to her, giving me a hug. She was quiet as she held me and eventually she pulled away.

"I know just what we need to cheer you up. Will you be okay if I step out for a second?" she asked, getting up from my bed. I nodded as I told her I was going to take a shower to help me relax.

"Okay. I'll be back in a few," she said, dropping a kiss to the top of my head.

After Alice left the room, I got up and headed to the bathroom to start the shower. Within minutes, I was soaking under the hot spray, and I could feel the tension leaving my body. Twenty minutes later, I was back in my pjs, and I had climbed into bed. Not long after that, Alice opened the door and came in carrying a plastic grocery bag.

"Here," she said, pulling out a tub of cookie dough ice cream and a spoon.

"Thanks," I said, taking both of them from her and prying the lid off the carton. Ice cream always made me feel better, and Alice knew it. We ended up staying up until three, eating our ice cream and talking.

My alarm went off at seven-fifteen, and I scowled as I slammed my hand down on the offensive thing. I didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay in bed all day, but I couldn't afford to miss any more classes this late in the semester. I groggily got up, took a quick shower, and threw on a pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I threw my hair into a messy ponytail and grabbed my bag. I knew I looked like shit, but I couldn't find it in myself to honestly care. At least I wasn't showing up to class in my pajamas.

My first class of the day seemed to drag on and on. It was already a long class, being ninety minutes, but today, it seemed twice as long. It didn't help that I couldn't concentrate, and I was fairly certain I missed half of what the professor talked about. I sighed with relief when the clock on the wall hit nine-thirty. One class down, one to go. I went to my next class which lasted until eleven-thirty. I was so ready for the day to be over, and I'd never been so glad for my classes to end.

I made my way over to the cafeteria and smiled when I saw the gang seated around our table. I wasn't really hungry, so I grabbed a bowl of soup and a Coke and made my way over to them.

"How you feeling?" Alice asked me quietly as I took a seat.

"Meh," I told her. "I think I'm gonna spend the rest of the afternoon reading and just relaxing."

"Okay. Rose and I are hitting up the mall. Is there anything you need?"

I thought about it for a moment, but I couldn't think of anything that I really needed, so I told her no, but thanks.

I spent the rest of the afternoon lying on my bed reading while listening to music. It was just what the doctor ordered. A soft knock on the door interrupted me, and when I opened the door, I found Edward, standing on the other side holding a couple Styrofoam containers.

"Hungry?" he asked, holding out the container.

"Yeah, I am," I said as I opened the door wider so he could enter the room. I'd lost track of time, like I usual did when I was reading, and my stomach let out a rumble at the smell of the food.

"You were quiet today," he commented as he took a seat at my desk. "Is it because of yesterday?"

"A little bit," I said as I took the container he handed me. "I had a rough night."

"I'm sorry," he apologized, but I shook my head.

"There's no need to apologize," I told him, smiling when I opened the container and spotted the chicken strips and fries.

"Well, I feel like I kind of forced you in to telling me, and as a result, you had a bad night," he said sadly as he munched on a fry.

"You didn't force me to tell you; I chose to, and the bad dream was just that, a dream. I used to have them all the time after Mike assaulted me, but they've gotten better, and I rarely have them anymore. Although sometimes, they just pop up out of nowhere. Again, Edward, it's not your fault."

"By the way, thanks for this," I said, indicating the food in my lap. "It was just what I wanted."

"I've heard you rave about those chicken strips, and I figured I couldn't go wrong getting you that. Although, I wasn't sure if you were a barbeque, sweet and sour, or ranch kind of girl."

"I'm a barbeque mixed with sweet and sour sauce kind of girl," I told him, grinning at the disgusted look on his face. "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it."

"That just sounds so wrong," he said through a bite of his burger.

"Try it," I said, offering him a chicken strip with the mixed sauce. Tentatively, he leaned down and took a bite, and I almost swooned when his lips brushed my fingertips.

"Hey, that's not bad," he said, sounding surprised.

"Told ya!" I sang as I ate the rest of the chicken strip I'd offered him.

"Shit! I forgot drinks. I'll run down to the commons and grab some sodas from the vending machine," he said, getting up.

"Sit. I'll get them since you bought dinner," I told him, grabbing a couple of dollar bills out of my wallet. "Dr. Pepper, right?"

He nodded, and I headed out the door and down the stairs. I went toward the pop machines once I was in the commons, and as I was debating what I wanted, a girl came up to me.

"You're Bella, right?"

"Yeah," I responded, not really paying attention to her.

"Is it true you were sleeping with Edward while he was with Lauren?"

I turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, do I know you? Because I can't even begin to imagine how anything having to do with Edward or Lauren is your business."

"So, it's true?" she asked, tossing her hair behind a shoulder.

"Did I say that?" I asked her before turning around and putting my money in the machine. I pushed the button for the Dr. Pepper and then took it when it came out. Grabbing my change, I walked over to a different pop machine, the girl following behind me.

Heaving a sigh, I turned to face her once again. My palms were sweaty, and my heart was racing, but I was trying to stay calm.

"I hope you aren't expecting me to buy you a soda," I commented dryly.

"What? Of course not. I just want an answer."

"Since I don't owe you an answer, I guess you'll just have to keep wondering," I said, sticking my money in the machine and randomly pushing a button just so I could get my pop and leave as quickly as possible.

I grabbed the can the second it clunked into the tray, and I made a beeline for the stairs. Halfway up, I checked behind me to see if she was following, and thankfully, she wasn't. I practically flew to my room and hip checked the door open.

"Sorry it took so long. I got accosted by some chick wanting to know if I'd been screwing you while you were with Lauren," I blurted out as I handed him his soda.

He almost toppled his drink as he stared at me. "Are you fucking kidding me? It's been almost two weeks. Don't these people have better things to do?"

"Apparently not." I shrugged.

"So what did you tell her?" he asked as I pulled the tab on the soda I'd grabbed.

"That we'd been having wild, kinky animal sex."

He choked on his drink, sputtering as he stared at me. I flashed him a grin as I took a swig of the drink in my hand and almost choked myself. I hadn't paid attention to what I'd gotten, and it was some nasty orange soda.

"Serves you right," he said, motioning at the can. "That's what you get for trying to kill me."

"Oh, but the look on your face was priceless. But seriously, I didn't tell her anything. It's none of her business."

"Now if only they'd listen, huh? I'm sorry this shit is happening to you. You certainly don't need to be dealing with it."

"It is what it is," I said with a shrug. "In the end, it doesn't matter what any of them think anyways. We know nothing happened between us, and our friends know that, too. That's all that's important."

"Too right you are," he said, taking one last bite of his burger. He had ketchup smeared on his face, and I grinned as I handed him a napkin.

"Thanks," he said in a muffled voice as he wiped his face. He completely missed the mark, and the ketchup was still there.

"Here," I said, pointing to the same spot on my face.

"I'm a messy eater, but I'm not as bad as Emmett. Mom makes him wear a bib on Thanksgiving."

I stared at him and then roared with laughter. I could just picture it.

"Promise me you'll send me a picture of that."

"I will," he said with a grin as I took another sip of the nasty soda.

Edward reached over and removed the can from my hand and handed me his drink.

"I'll drink this so you don't have to," he said with a sweet smile, and I thanked him. I took a sip of Dr. Pepper and tried not to think about the fact that I was drinking after him.

A little after eight, he stood up and threw away his trash, telling me that he was sorry he had to go, but he had a test to study for. I thanked him, once again, for bringing me dinner, and then I did something completely out of character for me. I leaned in and gave him a hug.

Immediately, his arms wrapped around me, and I found myself snuggled against his firm chest. I could feel the heat from my blush, and I was fairly certain he could as well. The hug didn't last long, mainly, because I was embarrassed. I pulled away and gave him a shy smile as I bid him goodnight.

"Sweet dreams tonight, okay?" he told me, tapping a finger on my nose.

I nodded as I began to close the door behind him. The second the door was closed, I leaned back against it and let out a dreamy sigh. A key turning in the lock had me quickly moving away from the door, and I smiled as Alice and Jasper came in.

"What's this?" Alice asked, looking at the container on my bed that still held a few fries and the Dr. Pepper can on my desk.

"Oh, Edward brought me dinner," I told them, and Alice's eyes shined. I knew she was going to make a bigger deal out of it than it really was.

"Did he now?" she asked with a smirk.

"Yes. He was just being friendly," I said in a stern voice.

"Well now," Jasper drawled. "I certainly can't remember Edward ever bringing dinner to any of his other female friends. I'm fairly certain he never even took dinner from Ed's Grill to Lauren."

"Most likely, that's because she would have bitched a fit," I retorted, but secretly, I was pleased to hear he hadn't been delivering dinners to different girls.

"He really does like you," Jasper told me, sitting down on Alice's bed and pulling her onto his lap. "I think he just wants some time before getting into another relationship, so just be patient. I have no doubt the two of you will be together."

I peered at him. "You sound just like Alice."

"Well, you know what they say. Great minds think alike," he said with a smug smile, and I rolled my eyes at him.

I killed the next few hours doing homework and studying until I was fighting to keep my eyes open. Alice and Jasper both had a test they were studying for, and I told them they could stay and study. I went to the bathroom, changed into my pajamas, and then climbed into bed with my earbuds tucked in my ears with some soothing music playing. I was out like a light and didn't have any bad dreams.

* * *

"Happy Thanksgiving!" I shouted to the gang as I climbed into Iona. The five of them were all going to the Cullen's house since it was too far of a trip for Jasper and Rose to head home. They would, however, be heading home for Christmas for at least three of the five weeks of break we got.

"Have a safe trip. Call or text one of us when you arrive," Edward told me, and I nodded.

The drive home took longer than normal do to the amount of traffic because of the upcoming holiday. Almost four hours later, I pulled into the driveway and was greeted at the door by my dad on his crutches.

"Hey, Dad!" I cried out, giving him a hug.

"Thank God, you're here! I get to eat real food," Dad said, shooting a teasing grin over his shoulder at Mom.

"Oh, yeah. You're just withering away to nothing, Charlie," Mom said sarcastically before turning to me and welcoming me home.

The next day was busy as we prepped for our dinner. Dad had invited his deputy, Harry Clearwater, his wife, Sue, and their two kids, Leah and Seth. We usually ended up alternating who was doing Thanksgiving, and it was our turn this year. I didn't mind at all. I enjoyed cooking, and I loved baking pies.

"Need any help?" Mom asked, popping into the kitchen, and I shook my head. As much as Mom tried to help, she was more of a hindrance than anything. Even following the directions, she still managed to mess things up. It was one of the world's unsolved mysteries. I mean, I've stood guard and supervised her actions, and the food still ended up horrible. I guess being a good cook was a natural gift; one I was glad I had.

"I'm good. Thanks though," I told her, and she nodded before heading into the living room.

I took a peak around the corner an hour and a half later and smiled when I saw my parents cuddled on the couch watching ESPN. Mom hated sports, but she tolerated them for Dad's sake the same way he tolerated her love for reality shows. It was hilarious to see my dad sitting around watching _The Real Housewives of Atlanta_. It was also good blackmail material should I ever need it.

"The pies are prepped for tomorrow as is everything else. I'll start the turkey when I get up, and then we should be all set."

"Thank you so much," Mom gushed with Dad, nodding his head enthusiastically beside her.

As I crawled into bed that night, I saw I had several texts waiting for me from Edward. I'd left my phone in my room by accident most of the day and hadn't given it much thought because I'd been so busy.

_Sorry, Edward. Left my phone in my bedroom,_ I texted.

_It's okay. Was just worried when I hadn't heard from you. Ready for turkey day?_

_Yep. I've got everything done except for cooking the turkey._

We texted back and forth for an hour with the occasional text from Alice and my friend, Angela. I wasn't usually one for texting so much, but I wasn't a phone talker either.

Thanksgiving morning, I was up at six to get the turkey ready and in the oven. As much as I loved cooking, there was something about sticking your hand inside a turkey that was disturbing. Once the turkey was in the oven, I went back to bed for a couple of more hours.

By two, everything was ready, and the Clearwaters had arrived. It was good to see them, and Leah and I spent most of the evening talking about college. She was attending college in Oregon, studying to be a nurse. Seth was still in high school, and he was a real quiet and shy kid.

Halfway through dinner, my phone buzzed with a text. I was going to wait to read it, not wanting to be rude, but Mom gave me a nod, telling me it was fine. I opened the text and cracked up at what saw. It was a picture of Emmett, wearing a large bib with a giant turkey on it. I couldn't contain my giggles as I showed it to my family and friends.

"Who is that?" Dad asked between laughs.

"Edward's big brother, Emmett. You met him, remember? Anyway, Edward told me that their mom makes Emmett where a bib on Thanksgiving, but I hadn't believed him."

"Edward, huh?" Dad asked with a raised eyebrow, and I raised one right back at him.

"Yes, Edward. Alice's twin brother and my friend."

"Uh huh," Dad said and probably would have continued to harass me except Mom smacked him on the arm and told him to behave.

"Yeah, Dad. Behave," I said, sticking out my tongue before texting Edward back and thanking him for the hilarious picture.

By eight that night, the Clearwaters had gone home, and the three of us were quickly falling into turkey comas. I was sprawled out on the floor, Dad was lounging in his recliner, and Mom was on the couch. I don't think any of us could have moved even if we'd wanted to. I'd eaten way too much food, and now I was paying the price.

At some point, I managed to crawl upstairs to my room and collapse on my bed. I was content to just lie there, but my phone rang, and I groaned as I pulled it out of my pocket.

"Hello?" I asked, not even looking to see who it was.

"You okay?" a velvet voice laughed on the other end.

"No. Turkey coma."

"Well, why did you eat so much?"

"It wasn't my fault. There was so much there, and it kept calling my name."

He let out his wonderful laugh, and I barely held back a sigh.

"So how was your Thanksgiving?" I asked him.

"Good. Emmett is in a turkey coma as well, drooling while passed out on the couch. Are you drooling?"

I barked out a laugh as I answered no. "Although, my dad was drooling over the turkey and pumpkin pie."

Edward and I talked for an hour before Alice kicked him off the phone to talk to me. She was so excited about Black Friday, and soon she was going on and on about all the stuff she wanted to buy. At some point, I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to Alice yelling at me.

"Are you even listening to me?" she screeched.

"Sorry, Alice. The turkey coma has kicked in, and I can barely stay awake."

She let out a huff and told me she'd talk to me later. I didn't understand how she was still awake if she had to get up at three to go get in line and buy a bunch of crap. Black Friday didn't appeal to me in the least. I figured if there was something I desperately needed, I could always hop online and buy it that way. Actually, that reminded me that I needed to order Dad's present soon. I'd seen him eyeing this fancy fishing pole in one of his fishing magazines. The pole was super expensive, so Mom was pitching in and helping me by paying for half of it.

I set the alarm on my phone for a little after midnight so that I could hop online and see if the price of the fishing pole had lowered any. After that though, I was going back to bed.

At twelve-o-one, my alarm went off, and I dragged myself downstairs to the computer in the living room and logged onto the site. The price on Dad's gift had dropped dramatically, so I went ahead and bought it before switching over to another site to see about getting something for Mom. Before I knew it, it was after two in the morning, but I'd gotten all my shopping done, and I didn't have to stand outside in the cold in a line a mile long. Yawning, I shut the computer down and dragged back to bed, thinking about the gift I'd gotten for Edward. I hoped it wasn't presumptuous of me. I mean, he was my friend, and I always bought my friends gifts. Feeling a bit better about it, I soon fell asleep.

Sunday I drove back to school with a couple of containers holding leftovers. Thankfully, there were no seaweed and pumpkin cookies this time around. I made it back to school around six in the evening and smiled when I saw my favorite band of misfits climbing out of Emmett's Hummer.

I'd barely gotten out of the car before Alice had her arms around me in a hug, and I hugged her back. It was so funny. She acted like she hadn't seen me months instead of a handful of days.

"You look tired," I commented which earned me a swat on the arm from her.

"I was up early on Fridayand stayed up late last night," she told me before rattling on about all the awesome things she'd bought. She'd gone with her mom and Rose, and from what I gathered, they'd shopped for about six hours. The thought boggled my mind. I could hardly shop for one hour, much less six.

The six of us spent the next hour talking and making fun of Emmett and his turkey bib before calling it a night. While it had been nice to go home, I was glad to be back and to see Edward's gorgeous face.

* * *

**a/n: Still with me? Good. I'm enjoying building up the tension and anticipation.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Why yes, you are getting this a day early. I have a friend coming in from out of town, and I'll be engaging in an epic D&D game tomorrow, so you get your update today. Yes, I'm well aware my nerd is showing. I'm okay with that. **

**So big thank you to all of you for showing this story some love, and a huge thanks to my awesome beta, Heather, for fixing my errors. Speaking of my beta, she's out of town, so next week's chapter might be a bit late. Just an FYI.**

* * *

It was the week of finals, and we were all feeling the stress. Alice and I were up late most nights, studying for our tests, and I felt like my brain was going to explode. Tossing my book onto the floor next to my bed, I rolled over and let out a loud sigh. I was tired of studying, I was tired of taking tests, and I was just plain tired.

"I need a break," I complained to Alice who was busy studying for some math exam. "I'm going to head off campus for an hour or so. Want to come with?"

She shook her head, focusing only on her books and the end of the highlighter she was chewing on. Getting up, I slipped my feet into my shoes, threw on my coat, and grabbed my keys and wallet. I didn't care where I was going; I just needed away from the confines of my room, or the cubicle I'd confiscated at the library. I decided to make a pit stop first and see if Edward wanted to go with me. I jogged up the stairs to his floor and knocked on the door loudly so I could be heard over the loud sounds of Papa Roach.

"Hey," Edward answered as he opened the door. He looked just as bad as the rest of us. He had circles under his eyes, a wrinkled shirt, and his glorious hair was everywhere.

"I've gotta get out of here for an hour or two. Want to go with me?" I asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"God, yes!"

He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and shoved his wallet and keys into his back pocket before closing the door behind him. He sent Jasper a quick text letting him know he was out with me, and then we made our way to the parking lot. I was glad I'd grabbed my coat. The temperature wasn't that cold, but it was windy as hell, and I was constantly shoving my hair out of my face. We made it to my car in no time, and I unlocked the doors and jumped in behind the wheel.

"Where are we going?" he asked, rubbing his hands together to warm them up a bit.

"No idea," I told him as I started the engine.

"What are you in the mood for?" he asked me as I pulled out of my parking spot.

"Pie. I don't care what kind. I just want some pie and a large glass of milk."

"Then we should go to Pieon Freemont Avenue," he told me and gave me directions on how to get there.

Twenty some minutes later, I was seated in a booth across from Edward with a huge slice of pumpkin pie topped with ice cream in front of me and a large glass of ice cold milk next to it. Edward had ordered a Southern pecan pie, and it looked just as good as mine.

I cut my pie into two halves and offered half of it to Edward in exchange for half of his. He contemplated for a few seconds, eyeing my plate and his own, before finally agreeing.

"If it was anyone else, I wouldn't have done this. The pecan pie is freaking amazing, so consider yourself lucky," he said with a grin as he pointed his fork at me.

"Well, thank you, kind sir, for agreeing to share. I wanted a slice of both, but there was no way I'd be able to eat two large slices of pie. Hell, I'm probably going to gain ten pounds just eating these small slices."

"And those ten pounds will be worth it. Trust me on this," Edward said before shoveling a large piece of pie into his mouth. He let out a moan that had my insides tingling, and I couldn't tear my gaze away from the way his lips wrapped around the fork. Jesus, it was like watching porn … food porn.

Not wanting to get caught staring at him, I managed to avert my gaze and stared down at my plate. I cut a small piece of the pumpkin pie and took a bite, moaning with pleasure as the flavors hit my tongue. Hell, yes. This was some freaking awesome pie.

"I can't eat anymore," I told Edward later, shoving my plate his way where a small piece of pie remained.

"Wimp," he teased as he ate the last remainders.

I glanced at my phone to check the time as Edward finished up the last of his milk, and I let out a sigh. It was later than I thought. I tended to lose all track of time when I was with Edward.

"What time is it?" he asked me.

"Almost ten," I told him, frowning when he handed our waitress his credit card. He told me not to argue, and that he was paying since I drove, but I still didn't think it was fair. He paid for things far too often, and it wasn't that I didn't appreciate it; I did. I just wasn't comfortable with it.

"Guess we should head back. I've got two exams in a row tomorrow morning, but then I'm done," he said, shoving his credit card back in his wallet and standing up.

"Lucky," I told him with a scowl. "I have two exams tomorrow and one on Friday. Then I'll be done and ready for this break. Although, five weeks without you is going to be a long time," I said, my blush covering my face as I realized what I'd said. I'd meant to say without all of them, but that wasn't what had come out.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and gave me a gentle squeeze.

"I'm going to miss you, too," he said quietly as we walked out to the car. "But you can always come visit me, or I can visit you. We'll figure something out."

My stomach flipped at his words. He'd said I and not we. I knew that he probably meant to include Alice and Emmett, but he'd said I.

"I'd like that," I said, looking up at him.

"Good," he told me with a wink. "Besides, there's no way Alice is going to go five weeks without seeing you. She's going to have a hard enough time with Jasper being gone for three weeks. We'll make plans to get together. I promise."

I smiled up at him, and he gave my shoulders another squeeze. It felt so natural to be tucked into his side like that. We made it to my car, and I hated the feeling of his arm leaving my shoulders.

Edward walked me up to my room once we got back, and he planted a soft kiss on my cheek as he said goodnight. I stood there, my fingertips pressed lightly against my cheek where he'd kissed it, and I watched him walk away. I wanted to feel those lips against mine more than anything, and lately, it seemed as if Edward was being more affectionate. Not that I was complaining. I certainly wasn't.

* * *

Friday afternoon, I practically ran out of the doors of the theater arts building. I was so glad to have my stupid dance final over with. I was terribly afraid I'd bombed the class, and that really bugged me. I prided myself on getting good grades, but that one class had really thrown me for a curve. I just hoped my professor gave me points for showing up every day and trying hard. Jake thought I was overreacting and told me I'd be fine. I certainly hoped so. I'd signed up for an intro to drawing class for next semester, and I figured that it couldn't be much worse than attempting to dance.

Back in my room, I dug out my large duffel bag and began to get clothes out of my dresser and closet. I still had some clothes at home, but not enough to last me five weeks. It took a while for me to pack everything, and it felt weird knowing I wouldn't be back for over a month. It was funny how this small room had become home.

"When are you leaving?" Alice asked, coming into the room.

"In a few minutes. I just wanted to say goodbye to you guys first and give you all your presents."

She threw herself at me in a tight hug and promised we'd see each other soon. A few minutes later, the rest of the crew showed up, and I was given hugs by everyone. I hugged Jasper and Rosalie a little longer than the others since I wouldn't be seeing them for quite some time. They were flying back to Texas first thing in the morning and would be staying down there for at least three weeks. I handed them all their Christmas presents, and I got presents in return and promised not to open them until Christmas day. After getting a hug from each one of them, Edward's being a little longer and tighter; I shot them all one last wave before heading out to the parking lot to begin the trip home.

I played Christmas music the whole way home, grinning when I pulled into the driveway of our house and saw the Christmas lights and the wreaths were hung up. Mom and I loved Christmas, and we tended to go all out. Dad always ended up getting dragged into it because Mom made him hang the lights or put up the decorations in the yard. He usually grumbled the whole time, but secretly, I think he liked it.

I was surprised to find the house empty. Mom was usually home by four. I knew Dad was still at work, but I wasn't sure where Mom was. After putting my bag in my room, I pulled out my phone and called Mom.

"Hi, honey! Are you home?" she asked after answering.

"Yep."

"I'll be home in a few. I just needed to pick up some stuff at the store. What did you want for dinner?"

"Oh, I was planning on making dinner tonight," I told her, terrified of what recipe she might have come up with.

"The fridge is pretty bare. I can pick up whatever you need."

I told her I was planning on making lasagna, garlic bread, and salad, and she hummed in delight. She informed me she'd be home in twenty minutes or so after I gave her the list of ingredients I'd need.

While I was waiting for her, I sent off a quick text to Edward, letting him know I'd arrived home safely, and then I took a seat on the couch and turned on the TV. I got lost in a crime show and jumped when the front door opened, and Mom came in.

"Hi, sweetheart," Mom said, setting the groceries bags down on the counter and coming over to give me a hug.

I hugged her back and then followed her into the kitchen so I could prepare dinner. Mom sat at the table, and we chatted while I prepped. A little before seven, the front door opened, and Dad came in. Mom had told me that Dad loved being back at work, but he hated that someone had to drive him to and from. He would be getting out of his cast next week, and he could hardly wait. Mom told me she could hardly wait either. She was tired of carting him around. It was all said with a wink aimed his way.

"Something smells delicious," he said, hobbling over to me and giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"Lasagna and garlic bread," I told him and was rewarded with a huge smile.

"Boy, I've missed your cooking. Rennie tries, but we all know yours is better," he said, winking at Mom.

* * *

I'd been home for a week when I got a call from Edward wanting to know if I wanted to meet up with him.

"I'd love to, but I have to take Dad to get his cast off his leg today. Maybe we could get together tomorrow?"

"Yeah, we can do that. Want to meet up in Port Angeles? It'll be easier than you having to drive all the way into Seattle."

"That should be fine. I'll let my folks know, but they shouldn't have any problems with it."

As I drove my dad to the hospital, I thought about the best way to approach the subject of meeting up with Edward. I wasn't sure if it was just him or Alice and Emmett as well.

"Uh, Dad?"

"What's up, Bells?"

"If it's cool with you and Mom, I'm going to meet up with Edward tomorrow in Port Angeles."

"Edward, huh?" he grunted, staring out the window. "Are you dating him?"

"No. We're just friends."

"But, you like him?"

I nodded as I pulled into the hospital parking lot. "Yeah, I do. A lot, but for now, we're nothing more than friends."

"As long as he's nice to you and treats you well, we're okay with it. We'd like to meet him though, especially if things change."

And that was that.

The next day, I began the hour drive up to Port Angeles, my stomach full of butterflies. Edward had called me last night to confirm our plans, and it was going to be just the two of us.

We were meeting at a great Italian restaurant for lunch, and then I wasn't sure what we were going to do. I smiled when I saw his shiny, silver Volvo in the parking lot with him leaning against it, doing something on his phone. I pulled into the spot next to his, and he looked up, flashing me a huge smile. Oh, yeah, I was beyond falling for him. I'd crashed and burned.

"Hey," he said, walking over to me and giving me a hug once I was out of the car.

"Hey, yourself," I told him, leaning into his hug and inhaling the wonderful smell that was Edward combined with his aftershave.

"So, what's good here?" he asked me once we were seated. I told him I was partial to the mushroom ravioli, and he made a look of disgust.

"We have got to work on your weird food issues," he said with a shake of his head.

My mouth fell open as I looked at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You like to eat weird food. I don't know if I can continue to hang out with you if this is going to persist."

I tossed my napkin at him and rolled my eyes as I told him there was nothing wrong with me or my food tastes.

"Perhaps, you need to broaden your food horizons," I suggested, smiling my thanks to the waitress as she set a basket of breadsticks down in front of us. This place had the most amazing bread sticks ever, and I could eat an entire basket of them by myself.

Halfway through our lunch, I heard someone call Edward's name. Looking up to see who could possibly know him in Port Angeles, I spotted a girl coming our way with frizzy brown hair, and I grimaced. Jessica Freaking Stanley. She had been the biggest gossip at Forks High, Mike's ex-girlfriend, and all-around mean girl.

"Edward! What in the world are you doing here?" she asked, throwing her arms around him in an awkward hug.

"Eating lunch," he said wryly.

"I can see that. And who is thi—" she stopped midsentence and stared at me, her eyes narrowing as she recognized me. "Bella Swan," she hissed.

I mentally prepared myself to do battle.

"Well, you certainly do get around, don't you?" she asked, her hands on her hips and glaring at me. "First, you steal Mike from me, and now you're going after my cousin!"

Her voice was getting louder, my face was getting redder, and people were starting to stare. This was not how envisioned my lunch with Edward going.

"Lower your voice right now, Jessica, or I'll let the world know all about you," Edward told her through gritted teeth.

Her jaw dropped open, and she stared at him like she'd never seen him before.

"Do you know who she is?" she whispered at him, jabbing a finger my way.

"Yes, I do. Bella is my extremely good friend, and I know all about Mike in case you were thinking of throwing that in there."

At the mention of Mike's name, Jessica's eyes narrowed once more, and she let out a hiss. "Don't tell me you bought into her bullshit lies about him? He'd never hurt a fly. Never. She made all that up because he was going to break up with her."

"Bullshit!" I hissed, and it was taking everything in me not to scream at her. "The police have pictures as do the doctors that prove that he attacked me. The fact that he did time, proves that he attacked me, and the fact that you're standing up for him, proves that you're an idiot. Now, if you'll excuse us, we're going to finish our lunch. You need to leave."

She puffed up, and I just knew she was about to cause a huge scene. Edward must have realized it as well because he stood up, took her by the arm, and dragged her toward the door. He leaned down and said something in her ear that caused her to turn pale and nod. She left without saying another thing, and I sighed in relief.

"I didn't realize you knew Jessica," he told me as he returned back to his seat.

"Yeah, you could say I do. Alice told me she was your cousin. I feel bad for you."

He let out a snort. "Feel bad for her if you're going to feel bad for anybody. She's a wreck and so is her life. I'm sorry she ruined our lunch."

I reached across the table and took his hand in mine, giving it a squeeze. I was positive he could feel my hand trembling, and I smiled when he squeezed back.

"She hasn't ruined anything. It was a minor inconvenience. That's all."

We finished our lunch after I reluctantly let go of his hand, and after the bill was paid, we wandered out toward our cars.

"Where to?" Edward asked.

"Follow me," I told him with a smile.

I waited until he was in his car before pulling out of the parking lot, making sure he was behind me. I'd decided to take him to the marine center. There weren't a lot of places open in December, but the center was open all year round.

"Cool," he said with a grin as he climbed out of his Volvo which he'd parked next to me.

"Yeah, it's a neat place. It's one of the first places Mom and Dad brought me to when we first moved to Forks."

"Wait. You're not originally from Forks?" he asked, confusion on his face.

"Nope. I was born in Phoenix. We didn't move to Washington until my freshman year of high school. My grandma lived in Forks, so we'd visit, and when she died, she left the house to Dad. He was looking for a change from the big city, so we packed up and moved to Forks."

"How did I not know this?"

I shrugged. "It never came up. Anyway, this place is pretty neat. It's small, but it's got lots of tanks where you can touch the crustaceans and stuff."

We spent almost two hours at the marine center, laughing and having a great time. I didn't want the day to end, but I knew Edward had told his mom he'd be home for dinner, and he had a two hour drive ahead of him. So, it was with a heavy heart that I said goodbye to him.

"This was fun," he told me as we stopped next to his car.

"Yeah, it was a great date," I said, and then my face turned bright red as I realized I'd called it a date. I hoped the ground would open and swallow me up.

"I'm sorry," I said, so incredibly embarrassed. "I meant to say day. I've had a great day with you. I know this isn't a date. I don't know why I said that," I rambled on.

A finger placed itself on my lips, effectively shutting me up. I stood there staring at the ground until his finger left my lips and placed itself under my chin, forcing me to look up. I kept my gaze adverted until he quietly asked me to look at him. Reluctantly, I did so.

"One of these days, I am going to ask you out on a real date, and I'm hoping you'll say yes," he told me with a sweet smile, and I felt myself blushing even more as I nodded my head; like I would ever say no to a date with Edward.

Taking my hands in his, he gave them a gentle squeeze. "In case you haven't figured it out by now, I like you a lot. I like you more than I've liked any other girl before, and I have to admit, it kind of scares me. I think that's one of the reasons why I haven't properly asked you out yet. I wanted to give myself time to get used to the feelings, and I also felt I needed some time alone to find myself again before starting another relationship."

He paused for a moment, his cheeks a light pink, and I knew mine were a bright red.

"I'll definitely say yes when you ask me out," I told him softly. "I swore off guys after Mike, and I told myself I wouldn't get involved with anyone for a while, but then I met you."

"Well, I'm glad to know that what I'm feeling isn't one sided," he said, squeezing my hands again.

"Please, was there ever any doubt?" I scoffed with an eye roll. "I'm pretty sure it was obvious to the world that I liked you."

"Maybe, but it's nice to have it confirmed. Alice swore you liked me, but sometimes, she only sees what she wants to, and not what's really true."

A ringing of a phone interrupted us, and I barely held back a sigh at the interruption. Edward apologized as he answered it with an eye roll.

"Hi, Mom," he said before pausing to listen to her. "Yep. I'm just about to leave, so I'll be home in a couple of hours."

Another pause, and then, "Yeah, I'll tell her. Love you, too."

He hung up his phone before shoving into his back pocket.

"My mom says hello," he told me with a smile. "She's heard a lot about you from me as well as Alice and Emmett. She really wants to meet you at some point."

"I'd like that," I told him shyly. "My folks want to meet you as well. I mean, I know they sort of did on move in day, but my Dad told me they really want to meet you if we decide to start dating."

"Your dad owns a gun, doesn't he?" Edward asked with some trepidation.

"Several," I told him with a grin. "But don't worry; I won't let him shoot you in any vital areas."

"Ha!" he barked out. "Well, I've got to get going. Mom doesn't like me driving in the dark for long distances."

"Understandable. Let me know that you got home safely."

"You, too," he said before leaning down and giving me a hug. I hugged him back, sighing when he planted a kiss on my cheek.

"I'll talk to you later," he said, and I nodded, watching as he climbed into his car.

I could barely remember the drive home from Port Angeles. My mind kept replaying the conversation we had, and at one point, I let out an incredibly girly squeal. Edward likes me! He really likes me! And not just as a friend, but as someone he wants to date! I knew I'd be calling Angela as soon as I got home. She knew all about my crush on Edward and begged me to keep her informed.

As soon as I arrived home, I sent Edward a text letting him know I'd made it home. I didn't expect to hear from him for another hour, so I was surprised when I got a text back with a smiley face attached. Frowning, I called him.

"You'd better not be texting while driving, Edward Cullen!" I warned when he answered.

"I was stopped at a red light," he said.

We spoke for a few minutes more before hanging up, and the second I walked in the door, Mom was all over me, wanting to know how my date had gone.

"It wasn't a date," I protested for the hundredth time, and I didn't fail to notice the looks Mom

and Dad shot each other. "It wasn't. But, he did tell me that he wants to take me out on a proper date."

"When do I meet him?" Dad asked as soon as I finished speaking.

I shrugged. "I don't know. Chances are, we won't go out until after we get back to school. I guess you can meet him then."

"What do his parents do?" Dad asked, and I settled in on the couch for the interrogation.

"His dad's a doctor, and his mom's an interior designer. They live on Mercer Island. Edward has a twin sister, my roommate, Alice, and an older brother, Emmett. You've met them both. They're also Jessica Stanley's cousins."

Mom made a face at that. "Hmph, well at least they're nicer than she is. That girl is just dreadful."

Of course, that led me to telling them about running into Jessica at lunch. Mom was appalled that Jessica called me a liar, and Dad was livid.

"I always knew that girl was stupid," he muttered, and I let out a laugh. I agreed wholeheartedly with him on that.

A couple hours later, I hugged them and kissed them goodnight before heading up to my room to give Angela a call. She'd known I was meeting Edward for lunch, and she was probably eagerly awaiting the details.

"Spill," she demanded the second she picked up the phone.

I let out a laugh at her eagerness before delving into all the details of the day. She squealed in a very un-Angela like way when I told her what he'd said about liking me.

"I knew it! I just knew he liked you."

"How in the world did you know that?" I asked with a laugh. "You've never even met him."

"Gut instinct," she said smugly. "I knew the minute you told me about all the times the two of you have gone out or eaten together. You're non-dating."

"We're what?"

"Non-dating. You know, a non-committal meet up between hypothetically single people, during non-date-night times."

"Where in the world did you come up with that?"

"Urban Dictionary," she confessed in a sheepish tone, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Fine, we're non-daters then. Although, that's going to be changing soon. I hope."

"It will. I have a feeling Edward means what he says."

* * *

**a/n: Progress is being made! Yay! I've got to tell you, I'm having a blast writing this story. Feel free to leave me your thoughts! I love to hear what you're thinking.**


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